Sussex's thriving football factory of unpolished gems

Striker Vardy joined new Premier League champions Leicester City from non-league Fleetwood Town in 2012, having previously played for FC Halifax Town.

Centre-back Smalling began at Maidstone United before joining Fulham and then Manchester United in 2010.

Both have shown there is a rich depth of untapped talent in the non-league game who have the capability to step up to the Football League – or even Premier – ranks.

So if you are a full-time club looking for raw talent on the cheap, then where do you start?

Around here Lewes Football Club is a perfect place begin.

There have been several cases of non-league players from Sussex being snapped up by bigger clubs in recent years – Whitehawk’s Raphael Rossi Branco (Swindon Town) and former Worthing player Mickey Demetriou (Shrewsbury) being two examples. There have also been a few from Eastbourne Borough moving on.

But Lewes can boast an outstanding record in recent times of giving a grounding to young players and then pushing them on into the professional game.

Perhaps the Dripping Pan should be renamed the Football Factory of Unpolished Gems.

The reason the Rooks have such a good record in recent times of producing players is because they have been prepared to give young players a chance.

Often it is players who have had a junior background in the professional game but have not been offered deals at the age of 16 and have instead headed to Lewes to earn a second chance.

Others, though, have just slipped through the net or simply improved with age and experience.

Whatever their background, you have to admire the work Lewes have done and continue to do working with young players, giving them opportunities and watching them flourish.

Here are a few examples of non-league players who have made the move from Lewes into the full-time ranks:

SOLLY MARCH: Sussex-born March was a 17-year-old at Lewes when he was picked up by Albion in 2011. He had played one first-team game for the Rooks, as well as being on the bench a number of times. Since joining the Seagulls, he has gone on to become an influential player, signing a new four-year contract in 2014 and playing for England under-21s.

GRANT HALL: Defender Hall made his first-team debut for Lewes as a 16-year-old in their Conference premier days. He was snapped up by Albion in 2009, having previously been in the club’s Centre of Excellence and made three first-team appearances before joining Tottenham in 2012. Hall is now playing in the Championship for Queens Park Rangers.

DAVID WHEELER: Let go by Albion, Wheeler made his Lewes bow as a 17-year-old in 2007-08 and played 19 times during their one season in Conference premier the following season. After four seasons at the Dripping Pan he was sold to Staines Town and then joined Exeter City in 2013. Still at the Grecians, he has now made 110 appearances for the club, scoring 17 goals.

LEON LEGGE: Joined Lewes from Hailsham in the summer of 2005 and became a regular as the Rooks reached Conference premier over the next three seasons. Joined Brentford in 2009, then Gillingham and is now at Cambridge United, having made a total of 214 Football League appearances to date.

ANDY DRURY: Exciting winger who was a team-mate of Legge’s and one of the key players as Lewes clinched promotion to Conference premier in 2008. Went on to play for Stevenage, Luton, Ipswich Town and Crawley Town.

JED WALLACE: Was not at Lewes for long but it was from the Rooks that the then 17-year-old joined Portsmouth on a three-year deal in 2011. After 121 games for Pompey he joined Wolves for £250,000 last summer and had a loan spell with Millwall last season.

MORGARO GOMIS: French-born midfielder who played for Lewes in 2005-06 before going on to play for Cowdenbeath, Dundee United and Birmingham City as well was winning two caps for Senegal. Currently in Scotland at Hearts.

ALBERT JARRETT: Joined Albion from Lewes in 2004 and played 12 first-team games before switching to Premier League Watford in 2006. Later returned to the Rooks.

JASON PUNCHEON: Okay, this does not quite fit the criteria as Puncheon only played once for Lewes after being released by MK Dons in 2006 – but he is worth mentioning. He soon returned to the full-time ranks and scored for Crystal Palace in this season’s FA Cup final.

AND WHO IS NEXT?

Yasin Ben El-Mhanni played for Lewes last season and ended the campaign on trial at Chelsea, where he is still awaiting to hear if he will be offered a deal.

Charlie Coppola, who made his breakthrough last season and turned 17 this week, was on trial at Premier League champions-elect Leicester City towards the end of the season while current defender Stacey Freeman was on trial at Crawley Town in May with Fleetwood Town also believed to be interested – the same Fleetwood, that is, where Vardy launched his path towards Euro 2016.