For years, English non-league football has been the breeding ground for talented young players who have not quite made it at EFL clubs. However, some top-flight players also gain invaluable experience during temporary loan spells in non-league football.
Some of those players have even gone on to represent their countries at international level. However, which of England’s Euro2024 squad has played non-league football?
Jordan Pickford
One of England’s better performers in Germany, the Everton and Three Lions number one has not always featured in the higher echelons of the beautiful game.
Long before Pickford won 68 caps for his national team, he was a young goalkeeper learning his trade. While contracted to hometown club Sunderland, he spent time at Darlington in the Conference Premier in season 2011/12(now the National League, making 17 appearances.
The following season, Pickford enjoyed another loan spell in the fifth tier, this time appearing 12 times for Alfreton Town. The temporary spells in the fifth tier will have helped him grow into the player he is today.
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Pickford is fifth-place for goalkeepers who have kept the most clean sheets for England, having kept 31 in his international career. He has also kept a record 11th clean sheet at a major international tournament in the group stages of Euro2024 in a goalless draw against Slovenia.
Ollie Watkins
Although the Aston Villa player played a bit part in the Three Lions campaign, his last-gasp goal as a substitute against the Netherlands in the semi-finals of Euro2024 booked his team’s place in the final.
Watkins has thrived at Villa in recent years, helping his team qualify for the Champions League in season 2023/24.
However, in the early years of his career, while at Exeter City, the forward spent a loan spell at Weston-Super-Mere, who at the time was in the sixth tier of the English game.
The young forward thrived in front of goal, scoring a respectable ten goals in 24 appearances for the Seagulls. The following two seasons saw Watkins score 21 goals in 65 appearances for Exeter, which were enough to eventually earn him a move to then-Championship outfit Brentford, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Lewis Dunk
The centre-back has been contracted to his hometown club, Brighton Hove Albion since joining their youth ranks in 2003 after starting his youth career at Wimbledon.
However, before he became a Seagulls stalwart, Dunk enjoyed a short loan spell at Isthmian League outfit Bognor Regis, where he made eight appearances and scored once.
During his attempts at nailing down a regular starting role for Brighton, he also went out on loan to League One Bristol City, where he featured just twice for the Robins.
Although Dunk didn’t feature for England at Euro2024, he has made six appearances for the Three Lions after an ultra-consistent career with the Seagulls.
Jarrod Bowen
After unsuccessful trials at Aston Villa and Cardiff City, the winger started his career at Hereford United. He made eight appearances for the Bulls and scored just once.
However, Bowen joined Hull City in 2014, when Hereford were wound up after financial difficulties. He played a starring role for the Tigers before a big move to Premier League West Ham in the summer of 2019.
His performances for the Irons earned Bowen an international call-up, and he made his debut in 2022. The winger has won ten international caps, making two cameos at Euro2024. However, his appearances in Germany consisted of just 35 minutes in total playing time.
Aaron Ramsdale
The goalkeeper, now Arsenal’s second choice behind Spanish star David Raya, started his professional career at Sheffield United. In season 2015/16, Ramsdale had a loan spell at semi-professional outfit Worksop Town.
However, he made just one appearance for Worksop. Ramsdale didn’t make his debut in league football until the 2017/18 season when he enjoyed a loan spell at Chesterfield in League Two, where he made 19 appearances.
Mainly due to Jordan Pickford’s consistency, the Gunners ‘keeper has made just five appearances for the Three Lions, having made his international debut in 2021.
Dean Henderson
The goalkeeper joined the youth ranks at Manchester United at 14 in 2011 from Carlisle United. While still contracted to the Red Devils, he enjoyed several loan spells away from the Manchester club.
One of those loan spells was in season 2015/16 when he joined National League North, Stockport County. Henderson made nine appearances for Hatters.
He later had loan spells at Grimsby Town, Shrewsbury Town, Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest. Henderson finally left Manchester United in the summer of 2023 when he joined Crystal Palace.
When it comes to his international career, the stopper has come up against the same problem as Ramsdale, in the fact that Jordan Pickford is so hard to dislodge from the number one spot.
Henderson’s international career has been restricted to a solitary international cap in 2020. He came on as a half-time replacement for Nick Pope in a 3-0 friendly victory over the Republic of Ireland.
Who is your favourite player from our list who has appeared in the non-league game?