Marcus Scotland left Bermuda with his family last summer aged 10 and with dreams of following up on the favourable impression that he had left on youth-team coaches at Fulham and Crystal Palace.

The aim was — as is the case with most youngsters who love “the beautiful game” — to become a professional footballer. However, a funny thing happened along the way and the Scotland gene took hold.

You see, Marcus, who turned 11 last week, is the son of Cleon Scotland, the former Western Stars, St George’s Cup Match and Bermuda batsman, and grandson of the late Rupert Scotland, the legendary batting all-rounder whose emigration from Antigua in the late 1950s heralded a golden era for West Indian-born cricketers plying their trade on the Island.

At first glance, Marcus was a footballer, banging in goals with regularity for Saltus and his club team, ABC Valencia. It was as a striker that he thought he would blossom in England, having performed creditably during a two-week reconnaissance stint with his father in November 2013.

But upon their return last May, with the cricket season in full swing, the youngster showed an acuity for cricket that astounded many, including Alex Tudor, the former England fast bowler, who is now a qualified coach in the Surrey area.

“The young lad is unbelievable,” Tudor said. “You know when you see an athlete that has it all; that is Marcus.

“What a humble young man as well.”

News of Scotland Jr’s success has filtered back to the Island and the Bermuda Cricket Board has been quick to offer financial support to assist in his development.

Marcus was recently selected to the Outer London Under-12 District of the Surrey winter academy squad. Should he progress, he will be taken on as a Surrey Colt, a well-worn path to becoming a county cricketer.

“The Bermuda Cricket Board is also monitoring Marcus’s academic progress,” the local governing body said in a statement. “The latest school reports are very good and consistent with the BCB’s aim to develop its young players on and off the field.”

At a time when most cricketers in Bermuda have yet even to contemplate reaching for their kit for pre-season training, young Scotland is in training every other day. A bright future, albeit not the one first expected, is on the cards.