Jamie Vardy, the man who is having a party and who was the player at the end of 2015, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 10 consecutive games by scoring in 11.
What followed was England caps and legend status for the Leicester striker. However, it may also have made clubs think; should they be turning to non-league more for more players like Vardy?
Many clubs have been linked with Vardy this January due to his pace and his goals. Yet rather than focus on a man near the end of his peak, should they be looking at fresh talent with the same, non-league roots as the 29-year-old?
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As early as last week, Tottenham were linked with Ebbsfleet wonderkid Shilow Tracey, and it illustrates a shift from looking overseas to looking down the leagues for talent. With the recent success of players like Vardy and Charlie Austin, the big teams are looking at cheaper options to fill their squads, players who know English football well and are well suited to the conditions.
You only have to look at the price Leicester paid for Vardy – £1million – to see just how much belief there is in the non-league system to produce such players.
The non-league has also become the “graveyard” for players who were once great but have dropped down for game time, meaning players at this level are gaining from their valuable experience. You only have to look at Salford, where players like Danny Webber have dropped down, providing Premier League experience to his current teammates.
Staying on the subject of Salford, the Class of’ 92 have made non-league football more popular, by buying the club. This has been further strengthened through their FA Cup success and TV exposure. The same can be said of Eastleigh, who drew against Bolton in the FA Cup, gaining a replay which will help the club financially.
But it allows for the players at these clubs to have their talents televised and a huge chance to show bigger clubs what they’re all about. Sadiq El Fitouri benefited from Phil Neville’s close ties to Manchester United by gaining a trial at Old Trafford and, with a contract soon following. It just goes to show that if the teams pay more attention and more support to the leagues, it can help promote the fresh talent.
An awful lot of players end up playing non-league football after having unsuccessful trials at Premier League or Championship clubs, and many argue this can lead to a lot of good footballers slipping through the net and never achieving their full potential.
However, they should look to players like Sadiq and Tracey, knowing that they can do better and can make the jump up to the big leagues if they are spotted.
The likes of Jimmy Bullard, Gary Hooper, Troy Deeney, Ian Wright, Chris Smalling, Les Ferdinand, Rickie Lambert, Grant Holt and Kevin Phillips all did it, and it highlights the fact that there is a real pool of talent within the lower leagues.
It might take a few more years, but the country’s big clubs need to try and avoid another Vardy-like situation of letting the player slip through the net before it’s too late for them to make a real career-long impact at the highest level, rather just for one or two seasons.
With the right tools they could not only help non-league football, but also promising players make the cut.
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