Charlie Austin and Jamie Vardy are expected to make their England debuts over the next week or so – who’d have thought we’d be saying that a season ago?
The pair were not long ago plying their trade in non-league football, with Austin being snapped up by Swindon from Poole FC and Vardy being signed from Fleetwood town in 2011 by Leicester. Great performances in the Championship followed, before they got to test themselves in the Premier League this season.
If their England call-ups are anything to go by, they did a good job. But they’re not the first to make the journey – here are a few who did it before them.
1. Vinnie Jones
To many, Jones will be known as Bullet-Tooth Tony, or any similar role he’s played on the big screen down the years, but before all that he was known for his football.
Before joining Wimbledon, Leeds, Sheffield United and Chelsea, Jones used to turn out for Wealdstone FC – in the spotlight in recent years because of the Wealdstone Raider.
In 1986 he was snapped up by Wimbledon for £10,000 and in his first season there helped them get promoted to the old Division One as Division Two champions. A call-up for Wales followed a few years later, after Jones had certified himself as if not a great player, then at least a good one.
2. Les Ferdinand
If anyone can be a model for Austin and Vardy, it’s Ferdinand. He’s currently the eighth highest scorer ever to play in the Premier League, putting him in very good company with the likes of Teddy Sheringham and Robin Van Persie below him, and Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler above.
But it wasn’t always like that for “Sir” Les, who used to be seen for non-league teams such as Southall FC and Hayes FC, before being signed by QPR for £30,000. Just 149 goals, 17 England caps and 10 clubs later – including early loans to Brentford and Besiktas – Ferdinand is one of the best to ever do it in England.
3. Miroslav Klose
It might seem a bit weird to think that the man who’s scored more goals in World Cups than anyone else was told he didn’t have a future as a footballer, but that’s the way it was for Klose.
Klose was turning out in the fifth tier of German football before being signed by FC Kaiserslautern, making his Bundesliga debut in 2000. He was two goals away from being the top scorer that season.
That’s probably well in the back of his mind now, as he’s overtaken the legendary Gerd Muller as Germany’s record goalscorer, and everyone and their dog knows his celebration.
4. Kevin Phillips
From one prolific goalscorer to another – Phillips is the only Englishman ever to win the European golden shoe, after scoring 30 goals for Sunderland in 1999/00.
After being released by Southampton, Phillips signed for Watford in 1991. He’d go on to score 246 goals for a number of different clubs, and in 2014, aged 41, Phillips retired having helped Leicester secure their promotion back to the Premier League.
5. Ian Wright
Wright had trials at Southend and Brighton as a teenager, but apparently didn’t do enough to prove himself. So, he found himself playing non-league football for Greenwich Borough.
It was there he was spotted by a scout for Crystal Palace, signing professionally not long before he turned 22. He went on to score 117 goals for Palace and in 2005 was voted as their player of the century. Not bad, but the best was still to come.
In 1991 Arsenal signed Wright for £2.5 million. A tuppence compared to the £42.5 million Arsenal paid for Mesut Ozil not long ago, but at the time it was a club record. He scored a hat-trick on his league debut, signalling what was to come. He scored a total of 305 goals in his career, as well as winning 33 England caps.
6. Stuart Pearce
The man affectionately labelled Psycho by the Nottingham Forest fans wasn’t always held in such high regard as he is now. He’s another who featured for Wealdstone before turning pro, at a time when they were one of the best non-league teams around.
In 1983 Coventry City, a First Division team, paid Wealdstone £30,000 for him. Two years later he’d join the club he’s most often related to and recently managed, Nottingham Forest.
He ended his career having spent some time in the all-time England appearance makers, with 78 caps. Not bad at all Psycho.
7. John Barnes
In 1981, Watford signed a young John Barnes just for a set of kit. Barnes helped Watford to promotion in his first season, before helping them to second in the First Division the following year.
He joined Liverpool a few years later, becoming part of one of their greatest ever attacking lines.
Barnes has won two league titles, two FA Cups and a League Cup. He’s spoken about now as one of England’s greatest ever players, and the great Sir Tom Finney said as much: “Players like John Barnes come along once in a lifetime”.
Source: SNAPPA
