AFC Fylde goal-machine Danny Rowe could follow his old pal Jamie Vardy into the upper echelons of the English game so will Derby County make a move?
With rags-to-riches hero Jamie Vardy blazing a trail, the route from non-league to the top of the English game now appears more accessible than ever.
There are bargains to be had in the undergrowth of semi-professional football, after all, with the likes of Andre Gray, Michail Antonio and, to a lesser extent, Millwall hotshot Lee Gregory encouraging clubs to send scouts out on Sunday mornings to local parks up and down the country.
And, according to the Derby Telegraph, Derby County have jumped on to the non-league hype. They were reportedly tracking 22-year-old Stafford Rangers front man Josh Gordon after the turn of the year, perhaps hoping to write their own Vardy-inspired fairy tale.
However, the highly-rated forward instead joined, of course, Leicester City earlier this month after impressing on an initial trial period, The Mirror reports.
Though Derby should not be discouraged. There is a lot more where Gordon came from and, in AFC Fylde’s record-breaking goal-machine Danny Rowe, Derby should not wait around for other clubs to catch his scent.
Vardy 2.0?
Like Vardy, Rowe has blossomed late in his footballing career but it is fair to say it has been worth the wait. He is one short of 50 goals this season, spearheading Fylde to the National League North title. He has scored six hat-tricks too, for what it is worth.
And the former Manchester United youngster, who ironically partnered Vardy up top for Fleetwood Town, is certainly worthy of an opportunity higher up the footballing pyramid.
Derby’s lack of a natural-born goalscorer has held them back all season and, while it would be far from guaranteed that Rowe could even survive after moving up four divisions, he has the potential to be the poacher extraordinaire the club needs.
Though expecting a Premier League title within five years may be a bit much.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
