Cohen Bramall has joined a group of footballers who took a different route to the top. Here’s an XI who followed a non-league to Premier League career path.
GK: Joe Hart – Although currently experiencing a loan spell in Italy’s top flight with Torino, Joe Hart is contracted to Premier League Manchester City. Hart began his career at Conference side Shrewsbury Town, making his debut one day after turning 17 years of age.
Hart made 58 appearances over his three years at Shrewsbury, before moving to City in 2006 – where the 68-capped England international has made 266 Premier League appearances, keeping over 100 clean sheets in the process. Hart has won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup during his decade at the Etihad Stadium.
RB: Craig Dawson – West Bromwich Albion’s defender, Craig Dawson, began his career at Northern Premier League side Radcliffe Borough – appearing 95 times and scoring 15 goals. However, aged 19, Dawson transferred to Rochdale for the 2009-10 season, where a successful move saw him make 46 appearances, score 10 goals and be named in the League Two PFA Team of the Year.
Dawson remained at Rochdale for 2010-11, but only as a loan-player, following his move to Premier League West Brom. Dawson made a further 41 appearances for the Dale, scoring 9 goals. To date, aged 26, Dawson is in his sixth season at the Baggies and has featured in close to 100 Premier League games.
CB: Chris Smalling – Having started his career at non-league Maidstone United, Smalling made the move to Premier League football by joining then top-flight Fulham for the 2008-09 season.
As if that leap was not rapid enough, after only 13 league appearances for the Cottagers, Smalling signed to English giants Manchester United in 2010. Since arriving at Old Trafford, the two-time Premier League winner has played over 200 times for the Red Devils and has earned 29 England caps to date.
CB: Ashley Williams – The captain of the Welsh national team, Everton defender Ashley Williams began his career in similar surroundings as Arsenal’s latest rookie, Cohen Bramall. Indeed, Williams appeared 46 times for non-league Hednesford Town between 2001 and 2003, before beginning his gradual ascend to the top of the football pyramid by moving into league football with Stockport County.
After five years at Edgeley Park, Williams moved to Swansea City – helping the Swans progress into the Premier League. After more than 350 games for the Welsh side, Williams signed for current club Everton in the summer of 2016.
LB: Cohen Bramall – Upon recently signing for Premier League Arsenal, Bramall was likened to a young Ashley Cole by manager Arsene Wenger.
Bramall, a 20-year-old defender, agreed a two-year contract with the Gunners following a recently successful trial at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground and marks a significant jump from the seventh tier of England’s football pyramid to the very top of the domestic game.
RM: Michail Antonio – After debuting his career in the eight-tier of the English game with Tooting & Mitcham United of the Isthmian League Division One South, a 17-year-old Antonio scored more than 30 goals in 45 games before moving to league football. Antonio was signed by Championship side Reading in 2008, making 33 appearances in a four year spell that was permeated with loan moves to other league sides, including Southampton, before permanently joining Sheffield Wednesday in 2012.
The winger moved to Nottingham Forest in 2014 and after 14 goals in his only full season at Forest, joined Premier League West Ham United in September 2015. Since arriving in the top flight, Antonio has made over 50 appearances for the Hammers and was called into an England squad earlier this year.
CM: Yannick Bolasie – The Everton midfielder began his journey to Premier League stardom at 11th-tier Hillingdon Borough, and after a spell in Malta with Floriana, returned to England to play for Plymouth Argyle, Rushden & Diamonds and Barnet between 2008 and 2010. Bolasie was transferred to Championship side Bristol City, but just 23 league games later found himself signing for Premier League Crystal Palace in 2012.
A successful four-year period followed, where Bolasie made over 130 Premier League appearances before a big-money transfer to current club Everton in the summer of 2016. Bolasie’s rise to the top of the English game has hit the pause button of late, as the Democratic Republic of Congo international faces a long absence due to a recently suffered serious knee injury.
LM: Neil Taylor – Left-sided Welsh international Neil Taylor began his career at non-league side Wrexham, playing three seasons at the Racecourse Ground, with the last two at Conference level. Taylor played almost 100 times for the Robins, before signing with then Championship side Swansea in 2010 for a £150,000 compensation fee.
Taylor was an important part of Swansea’s rise to the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers and has made more than 150 appearances for the Swans, most of which have been in England’s top division.
FW: Troy Deeney – Currently a Premier League captain, Deeney recently scored his 100th goal for Watford in a Premier League match against Crystal Palace. The successes that the 28-year-old has experienced in recent years has been preceded with set-backs and challenges. Deeney made his debut whilst on loan at non-league Halesowen Town, scoring eight goals in 10 appearances. Upon returning to parent club Walsall, Deeney played in over 100 League One games between 2006 and 2010 before signing for then Championship side Watford.
However, Deeney’s progress in the professional game was somewhat hampered as, in 2012, the forward was sentenced to ten months in prison, serving three. Deeney has certainly sent his career on an upward spiral henceforth, as the Birmingham born striker is now an established Premier League figure.
FW: Charlie Austin – Like Deeney, Southampton forward Charlie Austin is another established Premier League goal-getter, as his 25 goals in 54 top-flight games are a testament to. Austin’s journey to the promised lands of the Premier League began with non-league sides Kintbury Rangers, Hungerford Town and Poole Town and also included spells working as a Bricklayer. Austin first tasted league football with Swindon Town and after scoring 31 times in 54 League One games, moved on to the Championship with Burnley in 2011.
Another impressive scoring record of 41 league goals in 82 appearances led to a transfer to Queens Park Rangers in 2013. Whilst at Loftus Road, Austin bettered his Burnley scoring record by bagging 45 goals in 82 appearances for the R’s – 18 of those strikes coming in QPR’s 2014-15 Premier League campaign. Austin signed for the Saints in January 2016 – marking his return to the Premier League.
FW: Jamie Vardy – Perhaps the most famous rise from non-league to Premier League, Leicester striker Jamie Vardy’s story has been referenced several times during the 29-year-old’s headline grabbing achievements of recent times. Vardy’s goals have helped Leicester win both the Championship (2014) and the Premier League (2016) in addition to breaking a Premier League record of scoring in 11 consecutive games.
Vardy now has 14 England caps to his name, with five goals for his country, and is the current Premier League Player of the Season and Football Writers Footballer of the Year. These fantastic achievements began at the humble setting of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, with Halifax Town, before playing in the Conference Premier with Fleetwood Town. Vardy joined Leicester in 2012 and the rest, as they say, is history.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
