Rags To Riches: Five Premier League Players Who Have Played In The Non-League

Some footballers are lucky enough to be scouted from a very early age, allowing them to be in a top club’s set up from very young. Whereas with some others, they are working hard at their graft for years before earning the opportunity to play in the English topflight. Follow me through this article, as we look at these players who started at the bottom and have gone on to achieve some quite remarkable records and trophies while playing in the Premier League.

Jarrod Bowen (Hereford United)

Jarrod Bowen began his career at Hereford United following a successful scholarship there in 2014. He only made eight appearances, scoring his only goal in a 3-2 victory against Alfreton Town. At the end of the season, he left Hereford, to make a huge climb up the English pyramid, joining recent FA Cup finalists and Premier League outfit Hull City. Bowen spent five and a half seasons at the Tigers- three seasons he played in the Premier League, he played 124 times for the club, scoring 52 goals.

⚒️ Bowen making history 🏆#UECL || #FlashbackFriday || @WestHam pic.twitter.com/ygr0MqydLt
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) December 8, 2023

He made the move to West Ham United in January 2020. At the London Stadium is where enjoyed the most success in his career. After joining the Hammers to become their star player, they enjoyed a phenomenal run in the 2022/23 UEFA Conference League under David Moyes, becoming the only English team to win the competition in its short lifetime so far. This was also where Bowen scored his most important goal of his career so far- a 90th minute winner to secure the trophy in Prague.

Max Kilman (Maidenhead & Marlow)

After playing for both Fulham and Gillingham’s academies, he signed for Maidenhead United in 2015. His career did not take off until after his 2016/17 loan at Marlow. He played his final season for Maidenhead, overall, making 64 appearances for both sides before making his move to Wolves in 2018 in a contract which included a 10% future sell-on clause.

Kilman made his move to the midlands, where he spent six years there and made 127 appearances. He was not fully integrated into the first team however, until April 2019 despite making the occasional appearance. He was a favourite of Nuno Espírito Santo and he earned a contract extension in 2020. In 2021, he scored his first Premier League goal against Everton, in a 2-1 win, making his 100th competitive appearance for Wolves in 2023. He was made club captain the same year, after Ruben Neves departed the club.

Max Kilman was sold by part time Maidenhead to Wolves for £40,000 in 2018 💰

They inserted a sell on clause, which was triggered today after he joined West Ham

It’s thought it will net them anywhere between £4-8 million

This will “profoundly change the future of the club” 👀 pic.twitter.com/bZ8aPuDFW4
— tomhwilliams23 (@tomhwilliams23) July 6, 2024

At the start of the current season, he joined West Ham United on a long-term deal for £40 million. This deal also earned Maidenhead United £4 million following the sell-on clause. Although his move has not worked out as he would have wanted immediately, considering West Ham’s aspirations at the start of the season, there is definitely potential under Graham Potter that Kilman could enjoy more success in the future.

Dan Burn (Darlington)

The first two years of Dan Burn’s career were spent in the football league, playing for Darlington. He made 14 appearances for them, before moving to Fulham in 2011. He spent five years in London, also going on loan to both Yeovil and Birmingham. He moved on to Wigan in 2016, playing two seasons there, with a third being on loan, before moving Brighton.

He spent three successful seasons on the south coast, making 74 appearances for Brighton. In his final season, he made his highest ever finish, in ninth. Burn then earned his dream move to childhood club Newcastle during the peak of their frequent business. He is now in his third season for the Magpies and recently earned his best achievement of his career so far, winning the EFL Cup 2-1 against favourites Liverpool, and in turn the club’s first trophy in 70 years- a match in which Dan Burn also scored the opener in the game in what was just his 14th goal of his senior career.

"It's the boy from Blyth!"

A bullet header from Dan Burn! 💥 pic.twitter.com/TWjNryvqeu
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 16, 2025

Jamie Vardy (Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax, Fleetwood Town)

Perhaps the most iconic person on this list and very well-known for his journey from Non-League to the Premier League, it’s Jamie Vardy. He played in the youth setup at Sheffield Wednesday, before being released and joining Stocksbridge- whre he was earning just £30 a week. He spent three seasons there, scoring 55 goals in all competitions, before moving to FC Halifax Town for a season, scoring 26 goals in 37 matches. He signed for Fleetwood Town the following season where he impressed very early on, scoring a brace in his third, fourth and fifth appearances. He went on to make 31 goals in the division, becoming the top scorer and their first-ever promotion into the football league.

He then made the switch Leicester City for £1 million, which was a non-league record. In his second season, he helped the Foxes make the Premier League. Jamie Vardy was crucial in the back end of that season, as helped Leicester complete the great escape, finishing 14th despite being bottom at Christmas.

An iconic @Vardy7 goal from the Great Escape #OnThisDay four years ago! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/X1eEpH9rhS
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 11, 2019

What happened next season is still arguably the best underdog story in Premier League history. By the end of November 2015, Vardy broke Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record by scoring in 11 consecutive games. By April, Vardy also became the first Leicester player to score 20+ goals in a Premier League season since Gary Lineker. Leicester never really had a season close to when they won the Premier League in 2016, and Vardy has recently announced he will be departing the Foxes at the end of the current season.

When Jamie Vardy scored in his 11th Premier League match in a row, to break Ruud van Nistelrooy's record...

On this day in 2015 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/6Do32ShYTc
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 28, 2024

Chris Smalling (Maidstone)

Smalling is the last player on his list, and he started his career by spending a season with Maidstone United after leaving Millwall’s youth setup. After this season, he moved on to Fulham where his biggest achievement with them here was making the Europa League final with them before moving onto Manchester United the following summer. Smalling is perhaps the players on this list who went on to play for the biggest club, spending 10 years there too.

He had an enormously enjoyable time at Old Trafford, making over 200 appearances for the club. He helped United make the 2011 Champions League final, and also won two Premier League titles and even a Europa League as his biggest titles there. Through this, he was also able to make a breakthrough into the England setup, but he missed the Euro 2012 campaign through injury. He only made two tournament squads, with England making it out the group just once, with that ending with a shock 2-1 defeat to Iceland.