Diamonds in the Rough

Joseph Pope

• 21 juli 2025
• 9781836801542

Samenvatting:

Diamonds in the Rough explores the fairy-tale phenomenon of footballers who rose from the non-league to make their mark at the top level. Players, managers and coaches give us the inside track as we relive the rise of 100 players. Discover where the players’ careers started, where they got their big breaks and their routes to the top.

Diamonds in the Rough explores the fairy-tale phenomenon of footballers who rose from the non-league to make their mark at the game’s top levels.

For all the glitz and glamour of the Premier League and EFL, they are hugely indebted to non-league football for the role it has played – and continues to play – in springboarding so many players to success.

The book relives the rise of 100 players from the humble non-league who made it to the big time of top-level football. It gives you:

• The inside track on climbing the football pyramid as a non-leaguer, revealed through exclusive interviews with players, managers and coaches
• Human-interest stories galore: from Troy Deeney being spotted playing at Sunday League level, to Ethan Pinnock turning to the solace of non-league after being released by an academy, only to rise again
• A metaphorical ‘trip on the Tube’ to unearth the best talent out of the London non-league scene
• An exploration of the non-league roots of numerous EFL striking greats
• Stories of the goalkeeping Goliaths who have graced non-league
• A scout’s advice on what it takes to unearth a ‘non-league gem’

In this unique book, you’ll discover where the players’ careers started, where they got their big breaks, plus their routes to the top. A must-read for all football lovers!