Outside the top four divisions of English football, many players operate on the fringes of the professional sport. This is still an exceptionally high level and if they were to play in their local amateur leagues, they would stand head and shoulders above every other player on the pitch.
There are many reasons why players don’t quite make the cut at the highest level of the game. It is an ultra-competitive sport and England is one of the most densely talented countries in Europe when it comes to the beautiful game.
When Leicester won the Premiership in 2016, it was one of the most surprising sporting events of all time. Some sportsbooks offered odds of 5000/1 before the season began. Football betting is a huge market, and bookies don’t often get it that wrong, but on this occasion, they definitely did.
Leicester City’s lead man Jamie Vardy scored 24 goals that season. However, did you know that Vardy played non-league football in England until he was 23 years of age?
The semi-professional ranks of English football have created some of the greatest English strikers of the last few decades.
Alongside Vardy, there’s also Ian Wright and Les Ferdinand, who went on to score hundreds of goals in the Premier League. Are there any players ready to make that leap to the top-flight of English football today? Let’s have a look at the top 5 players.
Kabongo Tshimanga
Currently on loan at League One side Peterborough United, Tshimanga has a frightening strike rate at the non-league level. With 24 goals in 42 games for Oxford City, 39 in 78 for Boreham Wood and 31 in 44 for Chesterfield, he is widely labelled as arguably the best striker currently operating in the non-league ranks of English football.
His loan to Peterborough United will be a good indicator as to whether or not he has what it takes to step up to the professional level and perform. However, at the age of 25, he still has time on his side to establish himself as a professional in the higher echelons of English football.
Joe Sbarra
After impressing in his earlier years as a youngster coming through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion, Sbarra looked like he was destined to make waves at a high level of professional football. Having dropped down a division to gain playing time and establish himself as a high-quality senior player, he initially struggled to make an impact at Burton Albion.
However, it is his recent form for Solihull Motors that has made a few people sit up and take notice. With 29 goals in 97 games, his strike rate for a midfielder is better than some strikers who operate in the league. If Sbarra can continue to impress at this stage, you’d think it’s only a matter of time before he enters the full professional ranks.
Greg Olley
Gateshead‘s Olley is one of the top creative attacking talents in the entirety of non-league football. It is no surprise that Gateshead won the league last year following Olley’s 25+ assists. The numbers he posted were the highest number of goals set up by one individual player anywhere in the top six divisions of English football.
After springboarding the Northeast club to promotion, there have been rumours of a few Championship clubs keeping tabs on his availability, with a number of scouts being sent to watch him play up in the North East.
Jeff King
Liverpool-born King comes from a footballing family. His father, John, was a former player and manager at Altrincham, which is where Jeff first came through as a youth player. Renowned for his specialities from dead balls, a considerable portion of his 11 goals in 55 games for Chesterfield have come directly from set pieces.
His defensive capabilities are often earmarked as an underrated feature of his game. Teams that play against Chesterfield often actively avoid giving away set pieces in dangerous positions due to King’s ability.
Shaun Jeffers
Jeffers is arguably the most prolific and consistent striker in the National League South. He has two England U-19 caps and hasn’t quite cut it at the higher level of English football for the likes of Newport Country and Yeovil Town. Widely considered to be too good for the division he’s in at the moment, he’s also struggled at a higher level and has been transfer listed in the past.
With 55 goals in 77 games, this is a strike rate that would propel players into the higher divisions of English Football. However, given his history, Jeffers will likely remain at this level but he is one of the top strikers in non-league football, that is a fact.
