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In the big time: which non-league players have represented England at a World Cup?

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With former and striker Callum Wilson the latest to represent England in Qatar 2022, here is a look at three players who have gone from the to the World Cup.

Chris Smalling

Current Roma player Chris Smalling started his career far from the Italian capital, making his first senior move to non-league side in 2007. After a year in Kent, the centre-back made his move to Fulham, where he gained international recognition that landed him a move to Premier League giants Manchester United and eventually a call-up to Roy Hodgson's England squad for the 2014 World Cup. Unfortunately for Smalling, he only featured once in Brazil, in a drab 0-0 affair against Costa Rica on matchday three. 

The Three Lions crashed out at the group stages of that tournament with just a point to their name, but some improved performances have seen successive last-four and last-eight finishes at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Smalling's former team United have found a similar sort of resurgence, with the Red Devils now boasting Premier League betting odds of evens to finish in the top four. With Ronaldo gone and Erik Ten Hag firmly at the wheel, they are also among most pundits' Premier League tips to improve beyond the 2022-23 campaign, while Smalling himself will turn his focus to matters in Italy and climbing up the Serie A table with Jose Mourinho's Roma.

Joe Hart

While many know Joe Hart for his time at Manchester City – and most recently for appearing in the Champions League with Celtic β€“ the shot-stopper actually started his career in non-league Shrewsbury Town. Hart went on to make 55 appearances for Shrewsbury before his move to City in 2006, which led to a period in which he boasted the number one jersey for both club and country. The 35-year-old made a staggering 75 appearances for his national team, representing England in eight European Championship games as well as two World Cup matchups.

Hart was called up for South Africa 2010 but had to settle for a spot on the bench as manager Fabio Capello switched between Rob Green and David James in goal. While the Three Lions crashed out at the round of 16 of that tournament – thanks to a 4-1 capitulation against Germany which included Frank Lampard's infamous ghost goal. Hart would go on to start in England's first two group games in Brazil four years later, both of which ended in a 2-1 defeat. 

Jamie Vardy

Arguably the biggest success story on this list at international level, Jamie Vardy's transformation from the non-league to the big-time is well documented. With spells at , and Fleetwood Town between 2003 and 2011, Vardy signed for Leicester in July 2012 and hasn't looked back since. The 35-year-old has gone on to break the Premier League's successive goalscoring record and formed a crucial part of the Foxes' 2015-16 title-winning season. His success story is the same for England, with Vardy featuring four times in Russia as Southgate nearly led his side to their first World Cup final since 1966. 

He came on as a substitute in England's 6-1 demolition of Panama, before playing the full 90 in their 1-0 loss to Belgium on matchday three. He was on the pitch for the Three Lions' penalty shootout win against Colombia, having come on as a substitute before extra time. Vardy also played eight minutes of extra time action in the semi-final against Croatia as England went agonisingly close before falling at the penultimate hurdle, with Southgate's side forced to wait even longer for World Cup glory.

Given that England's non-league continues to produce a multitude of fine talent, it is only a matter of time before we see another lower-league star shining on international football's biggest stage. With Southgate's background in the Three Lions academy setup and his insistence on bringing in fresh faces, the future looks bright for England's World Cup bid in 2026.

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