Throughout the history of football, the grassroots game has helped nurture some fine talents. A number of players who are playing today could be considered as grassroots success stories, coming from humble beginnings in local parks to plying their trade in the biggest football competitions around.
For any aspiring professionals, these players are living proof that it can be done. While they’ve been snapped up by professional clubs and have obviously gone on to have the opportunity to work with world-class coaches and use state-of-the-art facilities, they all started out at local clubs.
Of course, it doesn’t always happen that way, either. Some highly talented players are never discovered, while others simply lacked the right attitude to succeed. Some top professionals of today are the perfect example of what can be achieved, though. With that in mind, below is a selection of inspirational stories from the grassroots game.
Jamie Vardy: An unlikely Premier League champion
You might’ve come across Jamie Vardy’s story before, as it’s such a remarkable one. The Leicester City legend clearly never gave up on his dream of making it to the highest level, despite starting out at Stocksbridge Park Steels after being released by Sheffield Wednesday as a youngster.
Vardy persevered, though, and later joined FC Halifax Town and then Fleetwood Town before he caught the eye of Leicester City’s scouts. A lethal finisher who never experienced academy football, Vardy’s rise from the park game to the professional world is staggering.
The fact his Leicester City move eventually resulted in their historic Premier League title-winning season makes him of the beautiful game’s most beautiful examples of never giving up. When Jamie Vardy does decide to hang his boots up, he can look back on a wonderful career and know that what he achieved may never be done again.
Bukayo Saka: The star kid turned “Starboy”
Over the years, Arsenal's academy has produced some fine young talents. Many of them started out at local clubs, with the Gunners having a fantastic scouting network that assesses bright players all over London. Saka was spotted in the same way while playing for Greenford Celtic, his local team in Greenford, West London.
Once he joined the North London giants, Saka immediately joined Arsenal's Hale End Academy and he hasn’t looked back since. Nowadays, he’s one of England’s most reliable performers. Arsenal fans adore their homegrown hero and have nicknamed him “Starboy”, and he generally always delivers in an Arsenal shirt.
With a large part of his season disrupted by injury, it’s no surprise Arsenal have declined. As soon as Saka suffered the hamstring injury that has kept him out since December, fans looking at the latest Premier League odds immediately backed the likes of Liverpool and even Nottingham Forest for the title instead. His absence is massive for a team that is so heavily reliant on him. Not bad for a kid from Greenford, really.
Harry Kane: The goal-getter from Walthamstow
As one of today’s most deadly goal-getters, every football fan on the planet knows who Harry Kane is. One of the world’s top strikers was spotted in his youth days while playing for Ridgeway Rovers, a local club near to where he grew up in Walthamstow.
Far from the finished product at such a young age, Arsenal saw something in Kane and decided to snap him up at the age of eight. However, the Tottenham hero was eventually released and ended up joining the academy at Spurs. From there, Kane worked hard to develop his game and make a name for himself in the sport.
Numerous managers and former coaches of Kane have said that his natural talent wasn’t as eye-catching as some of his peers, but Kane’s determination to get better can be credited with his rise to the very top. Now playing for German giants Bayern Munich, the England captain’s journey is an admirable one.
Raheem Sterling: From park football to Premier League winner
When Raheem Sterling moved to London from Jamaica as a child, football was his passion. Throughout his childhood, Sterling’s local park was the place he fine-tuned his game while enjoying scoring screamers against his friends. Eventually, it led Sterling to Queens Park Rangers’ academy, where he was regarded as one of the club’s finest prospects.
After standing out in a number of youth games, Liverpool snapped Sterling up, and he eventually made it to the Reds’ first team after showcasing his ability in training. Making his debut against Wigan Athletic aged 17 years and 107 days was the start of something quite amazing for Sterling, with the former England international eventually joining Manchester City and playing a key role in their domination of English football in recent times.
Nowadays, Sterling is on loan at Arsenal from Chelsea, and while his peak years appear to be firmly behind him, he’ll always be an inspiration for many aspiring professionals out there.
Jordan Henderson: Farringdon Detached’s future Liverpool captain
It’s probably fair to say that the Premier League has seen far more talented midfield generals than Jordan Henderson before, but not many players have the same type of leadership skills that the former Liverpool midfielder did.
Henderson clearly never took his rise to the Premier League for granted, and while he’ll never be discussed alongside some of English football’s greatest midfield talents, his hard work and dedication make him a rare breed. During his younger days playing for local team Farringdon Detached, the Sunderland prodigy probably didn’t expect to be captain of such a prestigious club one day.
After joining the Black Cats’ academy at the age of eight, Sunderland’s coaching staff might have seen it coming, though. After making it to the first team, Henderson stood out on a regular basis, resulting in Liverpool acquiring his services in 2011. From there, he led from the front, winning domestic titles and lifting the Champions League. Like so many local clubs, Farringdon Detached played their part in Jordan Henderson’s remarkable story.
