The issue of whether Premier League clubs should bail out their EFL counterparts is a hot topic at the moment, with the future of the English football pyramid under serious threat due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Top-flight managers have come together to call for support to help lower-league outfits, with the EFL having warned it faces a £200million collective loss if spectators cannot return in the 2020-21 season.
The EFL has provided the Premier League with some big stars over the years and, here, the PA news agency takes a look a selection of current players who started out at lower-division clubs and have moved up to English football’s top table.
Dele Alli
James Maddison
Daniel James
What a result! Special moment for me and my family to score on my Premier League debut at Old Trafford! No better feeling. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BQq8c6wiPF
— Daniel James (@Daniel_James_97) August 11, 2019
Hull-born Wales international James became Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing when he moved to Old Trafford for £15million aged 21 in June 2019. Having scored five goals in 38 games during his breakthrough season at Swansea, James was handed a five-year deal at Manchester United, but has had mixed fortunes since the transfer and has struggled to secure a regular starting berth.
Ollie Watkins
The first of many in claret and blue for Ollie Watkins! ?
Impressed with our new striker so far? ? pic.twitter.com/vzlCPZj21e
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 15, 2020
Watkins joined Aston Villa earlier this month from Brentford in what was reported to be a club-record £28million deal that could potentially rise to £33million. The 24-year-old, who netted 25 goals in the Sky Bet Championship last term and was just pipped to the golden boot by Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, signed a five-year contract at Villa Park and became the most expensive player with no top-flight experience to move from the Football League to the Premier League.
Joe Gomez
Klopp on Joe Gomez: “We want to have him here for the next 15 years. He’s ready [to play centre-back] but he can play full-back.” pic.twitter.com/RHZv250Qy1
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 17, 2017
Defender Gomez joined Charlton at the age of 10 and made 21 Championship appearances for the Addicks in the 2014-15 season before joining Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool in June 2015. He has so far made 74 top-flight appearances for the Reds, winning the 2019 Champions League and the 2020 Premier League, and has 10 senior England caps to his name.
Neal Maupay
Wilfried Zaha
