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Dion Charles backing himself to become new Jamie Vardy and go from non-league to Premier League after great Bolton start

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DION CHARLES is backing himself to become the next Jamie Vardy.

Less than three years ago, the  forward, 26, was playing in National League North with Southport.

Dion Charles (centre) celebrates his first goal for Bolton, the winner at ShrewsburyCredit: Rex
Charles would like to emulate Jamie Vardy’s rise from non-league to Premier LeagueCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Now he is an established Northern Ireland international with six caps while also  banging them in for new club Bolton.

Vardy became the most expensive signing from  non-league  when Leicester  bought him for £1million from Fleetwood Town when they were still in the  Conference Premier in 2012.

He has long since made his name as an England hitman with the Foxes.

A decade on, Charles still sees  veteran  Vardy, 35, as his inspiration and  seeing is believing.

Charles even spent two years at Fleetwood after signing in 2016 — but never made a League One appearance and found himself back down in tier six at Halifax Town before switching to Southport.

Yet he joined Accrington  in 2019 and, last summer,  was wanted by Championship sides Bristol City, Barnsley and  Huddersfield.

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After  20 goals last season, Charles joined the Trotters for £320,000 in January and has five in nine games.

Ahead of hosting AFC Wimbledon today, he vowed: “The journey is only  beginning for me  and I’m determined that if Jamie Vardy could  make it to the top, then so can I.

“I’ve  got plenty of mates back at Southport and   always told them  I’d end up in the Championship — at least.

“Well, I’m not in the Championship, yet. But  I play international football  for Northern Ireland — I’ve played in World Cup qualifiers.

NINTCHDBPICT000712744950Credit: Rex

“So, that’s got to be higher. Right?  I keep saying to my girlfriend Alex that I’m going  all the way — that I’ll play in the Championship at least with Bolton and she’s like my pals at Southport.

“She keeps saying I’m asking for the impossible, but I’ve got tunnel vision.

“For me, nothing’s impossible and you only have to look at the example Jamie set to all non–league players.

“If you try hard enough and work hard enough, you can live your dream.

“I’ve always admired him for his focus, his work ethic, his refusal  to accept that he was ‘only’ from  non-league football.

“He showed not only what can  be done, but how it can be done — his attitude is an example to us all who started in humble beginnings.”

If you try hard enough and work hard enough, you can live your dream

Dion Charles

Charles scored the first of his five goals with a brilliant volley to clinch a 1–0 win over Shrewsbury, earning  him the Sky Bet goal of the month award for January.

The striker and his missus  celebrated the birth of their  second child, Hattie, a month ago.

He explained: “For all Alex keeps telling me not to get too carried away, she’s been brilliant.

“When I’m not training I’m spending hours in the gym and she’s been  doing all the night feeds to let me  concentrate on making it.

“I keep telling her that anything can happen if you want it bad enough and I’m not letting up on my ambitions.

Charles’ strike against Shrewsbury won him SkyBet’s League One goal of the month award for JanuaryCredit: Kevin Hayden

“The first target is to get this massive club back into the Championship where it at least belongs.

“That’s where I believe I can and will be — at least. Then we’ll go again.

“Jamie  proved anything can happen. All you have to do is believe.”

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk

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