There has long been a pathway from non-league football into the professional ranks.
But only a handful of players have gone on to represent their countries at major tournaments – more on them later.
This summer, a trio of stars are expected to line up at EURO 2024 – having spent a chunk of their career plying their trade in non-league football in England.
Germany-Bound
Those who bet on EURO 2024 with Paddy Power will notice that England have been installed as 3/1 favourites to finally end their long trophy wait.
The football betting tips columns will also support the chances of France, as World Cup finalists in 2022, and Germany – a number of their squad have enjoyed success domestically this season, while the advantage of playing on home soil should not be overlooked.
If England are to get their hands on the trophy, they will no doubt call upon Jordan Pickford to make big saves at key times.
Although he came through the ranks at Sunderland, Pickford was farmed out on a pair of notable loan moves to non-league sides Darlington and Alfreton Town.
He played 17 times for the Quakers, although he couldn’t prevent them from being relegated to National League North during the 2011/12 season. Pickford would then make 12 appearances for Alfreton during the second half of the 2012/13 campaign.
The Everton goalkeeper could be joined in Germany by Jarrod Bowen, who has been named in Gareth Southgate’s provisional EURO 2024 squad.
Now of West Ham, Bowen’s initial breakthrough came at Hereford United. He would make eight appearances for the Bulls, netting against Alfreton in April 2014, before Hereford’s financial woes saw them banned from the National League – the forward would subsequently join Hull City on a free transfer.
The third former non-league star expected to grace EURO 2024 this summer is Che Adams.
The Southampton striker has been named in Scotland’s provisional squad after netting 16 times in the Saints’ successful Championship campaign.
But it’s a far cry from his formative years in non-league, where he played nearly 100 times for Oadby Town in the United Counties League and Ilkeston Town in the Northern Premier League.
International Stars
Of course, many others who have come through the non-league pyramid have represented their countries at major tournaments.
A stack of former amateur aces have gone on to represent England in big tournaments – Jamie Vardy, Tyrone Mings, and Chris Smalling just three of those to have gone from non-league to World Cups and EURO 2016.
One of England’s most infamous World Cup campaigns came in 1990, with their three former non-league aces – John Barnes, Stuart Pearce, and Chris Waddle – all playing their part.
Barnes had a goal disallowed against Belgium at the tournament before suffering an injury, while Pearce and Waddle (formerly of Wealdstone and Tow Law Town respectively) would indelibly mark their names in English footballing folklore – missing the crucial penalties in a shootout defeat to West Germany in the semi-finals.
Will England’s Class of 2024 have better luck on the international stage?
