In the near future, lining up against the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish might be a common practice for Bristol City's starboy Alex Scott.
But for now, the 19-year-old midfielder may afford the opportunity to pinch himself in the tunnel before he heads out onto the Ashton Gate pitch to take on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the FA Cup Fifth Round in what will be a raucous atmosphere in BS3.
For Scott, this will be a little taster of what's to come in the future with his own Premier League and European ambitions. This is his moment to showcase his ability against the players he has based his game on over the years although you can rest assured he won't be overcome by the opportunity.
His natural ability to glide past players, his flair on the ball and his close control have earned him the nickname the "Guernsey Grealish" after moving to Bristol from the Channel Islands as a 16-year-old. Even the way he wears his socks low down towards his ankles is a resemblance to the Manchester City midfielder.
Eight years his senior, Grealish's rise to the top is the pathway Scott is striving to achieve in his career. The England international broke through the Aston Villa ranks as an 18-year-old in the Premier League during the 2014/15 season.
Following the club's relegation in 2016, Grealish stayed with his boyhood club throughout the Championship, playing regularly and developing as a player despite the speculation linking him with a move back to the top flight. It strikes parallels with Scott, who has constantly blocked out the transfer noise to focus on getting consistent pitch time under Nigel Pearson.
"Grealish has been mentioned for the past couple of years since I've broken through," Scott said. "I think he's the one who I've almost modelled my game off.
"The way we dribble, the way we move on the pitch is very similar and he's a special, special player. Probably the one I look up to the most in football at the minute.
"Testing yourself against the best players in the world and I think the best team in the world, especially over the past five years. De Bruyne and Grealish are players that I've looked up to over the last four or five years."
City won't command the £100million transfer fee Man City paid Villa for Grealish back in the summer of 2021 when he left the Midlands side with over 200 appearances under his belt. Although there's no reason why Scott can't go on and emulate the success his counterpart has achieved so far if his rate of progression continues on the same trajectory.
It's been a wild ride for the City youngster after making his professional debut in April 2021. He played three times at the end of that campaign before being fast-tracked into the side in the following season making a total of 38 Championship appearances.
"If you told me three years ago when I just moved here that in three years' time, I was going to be playing against Manchester City at Ashton Gate, I would have just looked at you and laughed," he added. "Obviously, it's exciting to play against these players but we've just got to play our normal game.
"I was watching the TV as the draw was going on and thinking we've probably got a good chance of getting one of the good sides and obviously Manchester City at home makes it extra special."
Scott was just 14 years old when City entertained Manchester City in the League Cup semi-final second leg. Despite a narrow 3-2 defeat, it was a memorable night in the club's history and there is a confidence, instilled by the recent run and performances, that the Robins can pull off a shock in front of a packed house.
A 1-0 victory against Hull stretched their unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions which gives them a perfect platform to go out and play without pressure. Not many people will back Pearson's side to make it 13 but the contest promises an evening that could live long in the memory.
Scott added: "We're in good form at the moment and that will give us a lot of confidence going into it but of course, I know how tough it's going to be, they're the best team in the world. It's just going to be a special occasion for everyone at the club and obviously the crowd as well."
SIGN UP: For our daily Robins newsletter, bringing you the latest from Ashton Gate
READ NEXT
