A NUMBER of players have written themselves into international folklore after starring their nation.
But how many can say their journey to the top starting in football’s non-league?
For every superstar tipped for stardom from a young age, there are others whose road to the top is been considerably more gruelling.
While the likes of Bukayo Saka have burst onto the scene as an Arsenal whizkid to indispensable England ace, others have turned out for Darlington and Yate Town.
SunSport takes a look at seven of the best non-league to international journeys, including a handful of England stars…
JORDAN PICKFORD
NOW England’s most-experienced No1, the Everton stopper has been through it all.
Pickford started his career at Sunderland, but was quickly loaned out to Darlington, then in the Conference Premier – now known as the National League.
The goalkeeper played 17 times during his half-season loan, before Darlington were relegated to the sixth tier of English football.
Pickford returned to Sunderland only to be loaned to Conference side Alfreton Town, Burton Albion (League Two), Carlisle United, Bradford (both League One) and Preston (Championship).
The now-England man quickly established himself as Sunderland No1 before his move to Everton in 2017.
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By the time he’d moved to Goodison Park – making the England squad for the first time that same summer – Pickford had already played in every tier of English football from the very top to the fifth.
Now England’s No1, Pickford was exceptional in the run to the Euros final and World Cup last eight.
TYRONE MINGS
THE now-Aston Villa defender has been in and out of the England squad in recent international breaks, but is very much in Gareth Southgate’s plans.
He played three time at Euro 2020 before Harry Maguire took his spot but failed to make the World Cup squad.
But it should be no surprise to anyone that Mings was unfazed by the snub.
After all, he’s experienced plenty of setbacks during his career.
Mings, now 30 and 6ft 5in, was released by Southampton’s youth academy in 2009 after eight years for being too small.
The defender then spent two years at school before returning to football with then-eighth-tier Yate Town in 2011-12.
Mings – then working as a barman and mortgage advisor to make ends meet – nearly quit football before joining Southern League Premier Division side Chippenham Town in the seventh tier.
The centre-back – then playing as a left-back – was signed by Ipswich in a deal worth £10,000 to serve as backup to Aaron Cresswell.
But a surge in form and a growth spurt saw him quickly become a towering centre-back, joining Bournemouth in 2015 for what would be their first-ever season in the Premier League.
Four years on the south coast saw him move to Aston Villa in 2019.
DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN
MUCH like Pickford – team-mate for club and country – Calvert-Lewin’s route to Premier League and international football was a slightly longer journey than most.
The striker joined Sheffield United’s academy in 2005 aged eight, before spending nine years in the youth squad, then as a box-to-box midfielder.
Calvert-Lewin broke into the senior set-up in early 2014, with the Blades still in League One at that time.
With club bosses believing he needed more senior game-time under his belt, the forward was shipped off to sixth-tier Stalybridge Celtic on loan in December of that year.
However, after scoring six times in just five games for their first team, his loan was cut short and he returned to Bramall Lane in February 2015.
Calvert-Lewin signed a new long-term contract before being sent on loan to then-League Two side Northampton, with Sheff Utd believing he was ready for the jump in standard.
Despite never scoring for the Blades at a senior level, Everton saw his potential and brought him to Merseyside in the summer of 2016.
Fast forward and Calvert-Lewin has four goals in 11 games for England but missed out on last year’s World Cup squad through injury.
CHE ADAMS
CAPPED twice by England’s Under-20s in 2015, Adams is now arguably Scotland’s No1 striker after switching allegiances in 2020.
While Adams has been on the books of Southampton and Birmingham in recent seasons, he didn’t always have it easy.
Before moving to Sheffield Utd in 2014-15, the striker was on the books of ninth-tier Oadby Town, then in the United Counties League.
Adams then moved on to another non-league side, Ilkeston Town, making his senior debut against Jamie Vardy’s old club, Stocksbridge Park Steels in October 2013.
After close to 100 matches in non-league, Adams was snatched up by Sheff Utd, despite competition from Premier League and Championship clubs.
He played in all three games for Scotland at Euro 2020 and now has five goals in 22 games for his country.
KIEFFER MOORE
MOORE played in all three of Wales’ World Cup games last winter – including against England.
But he failed to add to his tally of nine international goals, having also played four times in total for his country at the Euros.
Of all the footballing journeys listed here, none are quite as fascinating – and long – as Moore’s.
Born in Torquay, Moore kicked off his career in the south-west of England with Paignton Saints in the 14th TIER – the South Devon League Division Two.
The striker scored 47 times in just 43 games before moving to Truro in the Conference South (sixth tier) for the 2012-13 season.
Midway through the season, Moore moved to league rivals Dorchester Town.
He was then snapped up by then-Championship side Yeovil in the summer of 2013.
In two seasons at Yeovil, the club was relegated TWICE, to slip back down to League Two, with Moore released.
The forward joined Norwegian top-flight side Viking for one season, before snubbing offers from League Two sides Exeter and Leyton Orient to sign for National League club Forest Green.
One-cap England C international Moore joined then-Championship side Ipswich for £10,000 a year later before moving to Barnsley and then Wigan – all for one season apiece.
He joined Cardiff in 2020 and became a key part of both the Bluebirds and Wales set-ups.
Moore scored 20 times in 42 Championship games for Cardiff in 2020-21 before moving to Bournemouth last summer – where he has eight Premier League goals in 25 games.
DANNY WARD
WARD played in all four of Wales’ Euro 2020 games, where they were eliminated in the last 16 by Denmark.
He also played in two World Cup matches, despite missing his nation’s group-stage opener vs the USA.
Starting from the beginning, the goalkeeper kicked-off his career at then-Conference Premier side Wrexham – also loaned to league rivals Tamworth.
Ward joined Liverpool in 2012 and was even the club’s second-choice, behind Simon Mignolet, for much of the 2014-15 season.
But the goalkeeper only ever played three matches – with two of those in the Premier League – and was loaned out to Morecambe, Aberdeen and Huddersfield.
In 2018, then-fourth-choice at Anfield, Ward was sold to Leicester for £12.5million.
Ward initially struggled for Premier League game time, as No2 to Kasper Schmeichel.
But following the Dane’s departure in 2022, Ward has played 26 times in the 2022-23 season.
TOM LOCKYER
The centre-back joined Bristol Rovers’ youth academy from Cardiff in 2011.
Lockyer quickly broke into the first-team for the then-League Two side, but was part of the squad who dropped out of the Football League in 2013-14.
The 6ft 1in defender – released by Cardiff for being too short – helped Bristol Rovers to back-to-back promotions as they stormed up to League One.
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In 2019, Lockyer joined then-Championship side Charlton, where he spent just one year before moving on to Luton TOwn.
The 14-cap Wales international was handed the No5 jersey for Euro 2020 but did not get a minute at the tournament or in the World Cup.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
