Many players have featured in non-league football before making it to the Premier League and even the international stage. One former non-league player who has come to prominence in recent seasons is Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.
Making it to the top despite rejection
Semenyo, who was born in Chelsea but represents Ghana internationally, had unsuccessful trials at Millwall, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, and Arsenal. Semenyo nearly gave up on football as a profession, but Dave Hockaday convinced him to join his youth academy program at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.
He caught the eye playing for the college, with Birmingham City, Crystal Palace (for a second time), and Bristol City all showing interest in signing the winger. It was the latter, who he decided to join, first joining up with the club’s academy.
Semenyo signed his first professional contract in January 2018. After signing his first deal with the Robins, the winger joined National League South side Bath City. His time in the sixth tier of the English pyramid saw him make 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring three times.
His spell with Bath was no doubt pivotal for the winger’s career, as it was his first taste of senior first-team football. Semenyo made loan moves to League Two Newport County and then League One Sunderland in the following two seasons, gaining more experience.
Thriving back at Bristol City before his Bournemouth move
It wasn’t until the 2020/21 season that Semenyo made his big breakthrough at Bristol City in the Championship. He made 50 appearances and scored five goals in all competitions during the campaign. In the following two seasons, the forward impressed, scoring eight goals in each of the two subsequent campaigns.
Semenyo impressed so much for City that he made a big move to Premier League Bournemouth in the 2023 winter window, costing the Cherries around £10m. His first half-season on the south coast was underwhelming, as he scored just once in 11 appearances in all competitions.
His first full season with Bournemouth yielded far more promising results, as he scored eight goals in 36 competitive appearances for the Cherries. The 2024/25 season saw him get to even higher heights, as he registered 13 goals in 42 games during the campaign. Despite his promising performances in the previous campaign, the season felt like it was his true breakthrough season with the south coast outfit.
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His performance reportedly attracted the interest of some high-profile Premier League clubs, including Manchester United. However, he didn’t make a big-money move. Instead, he started the campaign with the Cherries after signing a new deal with the south coast club.
Started the season in promising fashion
Bournemouth have made a promising start to their Premier League campaign, currently sitting in fourth place in the table, having won three of their first five matches, with their only defeat coming at the hands of reigning English champions Liverpool.
Semenyo has played a significant role in the team’s fast start to the season, scoring three goals and providing two assists from six top-flight appearances. That tally included a brace in that aforementioned game against Liverpool.
Like so many players who have played non-league football and made it to the top-flight, his time in the non-league game undoubtedly played a part in helping Semenyo’s development. No doubt he will be confident of bettering his goal tally this season.
If he continues in his current vein, then Antonio Semenyo could very well add his name to the long list of former non-league players who have become genuine stars at the highest level of the English game.