Ahead of Non-League Day on Saturday 22 March, we are highlighting the Premier League players at the top level who experienced first-hand playing beneath the top four divisions of the English football pyramid.
Goalkeepers
Nick Pope (Newcastle)
After signing for Charlton Athletic, Pope was loaned out to various non-league clubs including Harrow Borough, Welling United, Cambridge United, Aldershot Town, York City and finally Bury where he helped win promotion to League One.
David Raya (Arsenal)
After joining Blackburn Rovers in 2012, the Spaniard gained his first taste of senior football during a four-month loan spell at Conference National club Southport, making 24 appearances.
Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
A Manchester United academy graduate, the goalkeeper spent some time on loan at Stockport County in 2016.
Alex Palmer (Ipswich)
While at West Bromwich Albion, Palmer played on loan for his hometown club Kidderminster Harriers.
Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton)
In 2015, the goalkeeper briefly joined Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division club Worksop Town on loan, playing one match while their regular goalkeeper was suspended.
Defenders
Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)
The Palace skipper began playing for Cray Wanderers in south London at the age of six before being scouted by Chelsea, joining their Under-8 set-up.
James Tarkowski (Everton)
He played his first senior football for Manchester team Maine Road in the North West Counties League, before accepting a scholarship offer from Oldham Athletic aged 19.
Max Kilman (West Ham)
Kilman's early career included spells at Welling United, Maidenhead United and Marlow.
Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa)
Non-league football runs in the Mings family - his father Adie is a former Forest Green player. After eight years in Southampton’s academy, Mings signed with non-league Yate Town and, later, Chippenham Town.
Ethan Pinnock (Brentford)
After graduating from university with a 2:1 degree while playing for Dulwich Hamlet, Pinnock moved up the non-league ladder and signed for National League side Forest Green Rovers. He helped them win promotion to the Football League during his only season at the club before moving to Barnsley and then joining Brentford.
Dan Burn (Newcastle)
Burn scored for Newcastle in the EFL Cup final as his boyhood team lifted their first domestic trophy in over 70 years, but the defender's early career was spent across various non-league clubs in the north-east of England including Blyth Town, Blyth Spartans and Darlington.
Midfielders
Solly March (Brighton)
Prior to joining Brighton & Hove Albion in December 2011, March featured as a youth-team player at Eastbourne Borough before he joined his local club Lewes. After three months at the Dripping Pan, he signed for the Seagulls.
Ryan Yates (Nottingham Forest)
A graduate of Nottingham Forest's academy, Yates gained invaluable experience during a spell on loan at Barrow in 2016/17.
Jack Taylor (Ipswich)
The midfielder spent much of his youth career at Chelsea before joining National League's Barnet in 2012. During that spell he was loaned out Hampton & Richmond.
Sam Szmodics (Ipswich)
After being named Colchester United's Young Player of the Year in 2014/15, the Irishman spent part of the 2015/16 season on loan at Braintree Town to gain more first-team experience.
Forwards
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
After graduating from Sheffield United's academy, Calvert-Lewin impressed on loan at Stalybridge Celtic, netting a brace on his debut against Hyde United.
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
The Aston Villa frontman joined Exeter City's academy at Under-11 level before being loaned to Conference South club Weston-super-Mare, scoring 10 goals in 25 appearances.
Jamie Vardy (Leicester)
Leicester City striker Vardy was 27 when he made his Premier League debut, having spent nine years plying his trade in non-league at Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town. Vardy joined Leicester in 2012 and helped them win the Premier League title in 2015/16.
Callum Wilson (Newcastle)
While on the books at Coventry City as an academy player, Wilson was sent out on loan to Conference Premier clubs Kettering Town and then Tamworth. After leaving the Sky Blues for AFC Bournemouth in 2014, he moved to Newcastle United six years later.
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)
The West Ham United winger made his senior debut in March 2014 as a 17-year-old for a Hereford United side battling relegation. He made such an impression that Hull City signed him in the summer of that year. Bowen moved to the Hammers in January 2020.
Michail Antonio (West Ham)
The Hammers' leading Premier League goal scorer began his career at Tooting & Mitcham United.
Full list of non-league to Premier League players
David Raya (Arsenal): Southport
Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa): Yate Town, Chippenham Town
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa): Exeter City, Weston-super-Mare
Solly March (Brighton): Eastbourne Borough, Lewes
Adam Webster (Brighton): Aldershot Town
David Brooks (Bournemouth): Halifax Town
Mark Travers (Bournemouth): Weymouth
Ethan Pinnock (Brentford): Dulwich Hamlet, Forest Green Rovers
Marcus Bettinelli (Chelsea): Dartford
Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace): Cray Wanderers
Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace): AFC Wembley
Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) Stockport County
James Tarkowski (Everton): Maine Road
Jordan Pickford (Everton): Alfreton Town, Darlington
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton): Stalybridge Celtic
Martial Godo (Fulham): Margate
Alex Palmer (Ipswich): Kidderminster Harriers
Cameron Burgess (Ipswich): Cheltenham Town
Kalvin Phillips (Ipswich): Wortley
Leif Davis (Ipswich): Wallsend Boys club
Wes Burns (Ipswich): Forest Green Rovers
Sam Szmodics (Ipswich): Braintree Town
Dara O'Shea (Ipswich): Hereford United
Jack Taylor (Ipswich): Hampton and Richmond Borough FC
Luke Woolfenden (Ipswich): Bromley FC
Jamie Vardy (Leicester): Fleetwood Town, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax Town
Danny Ward (Leicester): Tamworth
Harry Maguire (Man Utd): Chesterfield
Nick Pope (Newcastle): Aldershot Town, Harrow Borough, Cambridge United, York City, Bury
Dan Burn (Newcastle): Darlington, Blyth Spartans, Blyth Town
Callum Wilson (Newcastle): Kettering Town, Tamworth
Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest): Stockport County
Ryan Yates (Nottingham Forest): Barrow
Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton): Worksop
Alex McCarthy (Southampton): Woking, Cambridge United, Team Bath
Joe Aribo (Southampton): Staines Town
Danny Ings (West Ham): Dorchester Town
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham): Hereford United
Wes Foderingham (West Ham): Bromley FC, Histon, Boreham Wood
Michail Antonio (West Ham): Tooting & Mitcham
Max Kilman (West Ham): Welling, Maidenhead, Marlow
Sam Johnstone (Wolves): Euxton Villa
Craig Dawson (Wolves): Radcliffe Borough
Also in this series
