Ollie Tanner has become the latest player from Non-League to sign for a Football League outfit after his move from Lewes FC to Cardiff City was announced.
It’s easy for any football fan to turn their noses up at a Non-League signing. After all, the standard of football below the EFL isn’t the greatest.
However, over the past few years, there have been some real success stories to come out of the lower-end of the English football pyramid, and with that in mind, we’ve built what we believe to be the current best XI of former Non-League players.
GK – Nick Pope
An England international, Nick Pope has enjoyed a meteoric rise since coming through the ranks at Bury Town.
Pope made his Football League debut at Charlton, but he cut his teeth on loan at clubs such as Harrow, Welling and Aldershot in Non-League before eventually making a move to Burnley where he remains as the Clarets’ number one.
RB – Michail Antonio
We’re slightly bending the rules here and playing Michail Antonio in his old position of right-back.
The Jamaica international started his career at Tooting And Mitcham, but it wasn’t long before he was snapped up by Reading.
Nowadays, Antonio is a West Ham stalwart, and the one-time right-back has transformed into a number nine.
CB – Dan Burn
Standing at 6 ft 6, Dan Burn was going to stand out no matter what level of football he was playing.
The Newcastle star began his career at Darlington, but it wasn’t long before he got a move to the Premier League with Fulham.
Burn would eventually join Brighton before earning himself a move back to the north-east with Newcastle in January.
CB – Tyrone Mings
Another giant centre-back, Tyrone Mings didn’t have the easiest route to the Premier League.
The defender was released by Southampton as a youngster, and he eventually got his break at Chippenham Town, but just months after his debut he was playing for Ipswich, a move to Bournemouth would follow before a transfer to Aston Villa helped him establish himself in the England squad.
LB – Solly March
Solly March only ever played five minutes of non-league football before signing for Brighton, but his time on the books at Lewes certainly helped shape him as a player.
March is one of Brighton’s most consistent performers these days and he can play at either left-back or on the wing.
CM – Steven Alzate
Steven Alzate had just been relegated into the National League when Brighton took him off of Leyton Orient’s hands.
The midfielder has since become a Colombian international and a regular in the Premier League for Graham Potter’s side.
CM – Sam Clucas
Perhaps not the most glamorous player in this team, Sam Clucas had an unorthodox journey to the Premier League.
The midfielder made his senior league debut for Jerez Industrial over in Spain, before joining Hereford United.
Clucas would eventually get his big break with Hull City before switches to both Swansea and Stoke.
LW – Yannick Bolasie
Our team is rather lopsided in terms of attackers, but it is easier to standout at the lower levels when you’re scoring goals.
Bolasie began his career at Hillingdon Borough, but his mercurial talent was eventually noticed by Plymouth Argyle who gave him his first taste of the EFL. Moves to Bristol City, Crystal Palace and even Everton followed.
Sadly, injuries took hold for Bolasie, and at the age of 32, he’s now playing over in Turkey.
RW – Jarrod Bowen
Another former Hereford United player in this team, Jarrod Bowen began his career in Non-League with The Bulls before being picked up by Hull City.
West Ham would eventually come calling, and these days, Bowen is one of the Premier League’s top stars, while many think an England call-up could be on the horizon.
ST – Callum Wilson
Callum Wilson spent two years in the National League playing for Kettering Town and Tamworth in the early 2010s, and interestingly, he wasn’t anything special at that level.
He managed just two league goals across those two seasons, but since then, his career has been on a massive upward trajectory.
A breakout season at Coventry led to a move to Bournemouth, while nowadays, he leads the line for Newcastle, and he even has a few England caps to his name.
ST – Jamie Vardy
Last, but by no means least, Jamie Vardy is the archetypal Non-League success story.
Signed from Fleetwood by Leicester for £1m back in 2012, nobody could have predicted what Vardy has gone on to achieve for the Foxes.
A Premier League and FA Cup winner with a Golden Boot and plenty of England caps to his name, Vardy has proven to every Non-League footballer that the sky truly is the limit in this sport.
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