There have been countless players who have worked their way up the footballing pyramid from the steep levels of non-League football. Most have made their way up by moving from club to club, but some have even gone from the Conference to the Premier League with a single club.
Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu made headlines following Luton Town’s promotion last year. The midfielder has been at Luton since 2013, meaning he helped the team earn every single promotion, from the fifth tier to the lucrative Premier League.
Cases like Mpanzu’s are rare, however, there are some current Championship players, that have experience in non-league football. There are a number of candidates that could reach the Premier League this season, which would crown a stunning rise from playing at a semi-professional level.
Seny Dieng
Seny Dieng was signed by Middlesbrough in the summer, after impressing over a number of seasons with Queens Park Rangers. Just five years ago, he was playing non-league football, but now he lines up for a genuine promotion contender in the championship. In Championship betting, Boro are offered at 5/1 to earn promotion this season.
However, the league is arguably stronger than ever this year, and in English Championship tips, Leicester City, Southampton, and Ipswich Town are predicted to secure the three promotion places this campaign.
The Senegalese goalkeeper was once on the books of AFC Fylde and enjoyed loan spells at Whitehawk and Hampton & Richmond Borough. Yet now he has a realistic chance of being a Premier League player come next summer.
#Boro's number 1️⃣ has been chosen for international duty 🇸🇳 #UTB https://t.co/0kkhgzFyB0
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) September 1, 2023
Dieng has five caps for his nation Senegal, but reaching the Premier League would surely top lining out for his nation. His team has had a slow start to the new season, but they certainly have the quality to compete at the top of the league.
Boro was narrowly defeated by Coventry City in the semi-final of the playoffs last season. They showed that they undoubtedly had promotion potential, but their squad has changed in key areas since. They lost a prolific forward, as Chuba Akpom departed to Ajax in August, but they have improved between the sticks with Dieng.
Perhaps over the length of the season, they will not be as free-scoring as in 2022/23, but they may well concede less often with an experienced shot-stopper who won the African Cup of Nations in 2022.
Jack Taylor
Jack Taylor is another player who once played for Hampton & Richmond Borough, who could end up in the Premier League in 2024. Taylor enjoyed a loan spell with the non-league club while being contracted to Barnet in the Conference.
OFFICIAL: Ipswich have signed midfielder Jack Taylor from Peterborough for £1.5m on a three-year deal. pic.twitter.com/XBYoMnfZMO
— Transfer News Central (@TransferNewsCen) June 27, 2023
He has only just made the jump up to the Championship after joining Ipswich from Peterborough United. But his spell in the second tier could well last a single season, as his new club is one of the outright favourites to earn promotion.
Ipswich’s first five games of the season were perfect besides a defeat in a seven-goal thriller against Leeds. They look well on course to secure back-to-back promotions this term.
Taylor could surely cope with the intensity and quality of the Premier League, purely due to his athleticism and engine. He is a hardworking box-to-box midfielder who thrives due to his resilience more so than his technical ability.
Both Dieng and Taylor could put the finishing touches to fairytale adventures from the depths of non-league football this season. Two former Hampton and Richmond Borough players could well find themselves placed in the biggest league in the world for the 2024/25 campaign.
