Many established Premier League players of the past and present have spent significant portions of their careers in non-league football. English champions, internationals and prolific top-flight goalscorers have worked their way up from a semi-professional level over the years. But who have been the most notable stars who began towards the bottom of the pile and gradually made it to the top?
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy is the definition of non-league to legend. He won the Premier League and FA Cup with Leicester City, and will be vital to their efforts to remain in the league this season. Vardy could be set to drop down a level as Leicester face a tight relegation fight, but his legacy is already written regardless. In Premier League betting odds, Leicester are offered at 1/4 to be relegated, as that scenario now seems extremely likely. The Premier League predictions suggest that Nottingham Forest and Everton will narrowly avoid relegation at the Foxes’ expense.
Vardy may not be a Premier League player next season, but his journey so far beginning in non-league has been extraordinary. He was released from Sheffield Wednesday before he made a professional appearance. His first senior appearances came at Stocksbridge Steels where he was earning just £30 a week for his efforts. Vardy earned moves to Halifax Town and eventually Fleetwood Town, where he was spotted by Leicester.
Making it from non-league to the championship was impressive enough. But he helped Leicester to reach the Premier League and miraculously win the top-flight title in the 2015/16 season. An FA Cup followed years later, and along the way, Vardy’s goalscoring record has consistently been impressive. He has become a member of the Premier League 100 club for his remarkable ability to score goals in abundance. Playing for England was also hugely impressive considering he was playing at a semi-professional level at the age of 25. Talent exists in the lower divisions and Vardy is one of the greatest examples of it.
Incredible 🎉
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 18, 2022
Jamie Vardy broke Ruud van Nistelrooy's record, becoming the first player to score in 11 consecutive #PL matches as @LCFC charged to Premier League glory#PL30 | https://t.co/x6e2QHXURs pic.twitter.com/qY8PtwcR8W
Ian Wright
Vardy is the shining example of a present player who has made it to the Premier League from the depths of non-league. But in the past, Ian Wright was a rare example of the incredible talent hidden in non-league football. Until the age of 21, Wright played amateur-level football and Sunday league. He then moved to Greenwich Borough where he played for less than a year before his huge rise began. The Arsenal legend began at a lower level compared to Vardy, but he was spotted by Crystal Palace early on.
Wright eventually earned a move to Arsenal, where he became a legend for the Gunners. He is better known for his time in North London, however, he actually made more appearances for Palace and was named their player of the 20th century. He did manage a much stronger goalscoring record for the Gunners with 128 goals in 221 appearances.
Ian Wright and Alan Smith August 1994@IanWright0 @9smudge @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/dtDrfSqt7y
— The N5 History (@TheN5News) May 13, 2023
Vardy and Wright are rare examples of stars who faced a difficult road to the English top flight, after spending many years playing at amateur and semi-professional levels. They show that some of the Premier League’s most prolific goalscorers were once non-league players. Perhaps we will see more stars from the lower leagues make stunning rises to the top in the future.
