Non-League Gems

A Premier League debut for Non-League Gems ambassador Martial Godo against Southampton yesterday... We often get asked - "How long does it take for a non-league player to come into the club and be first team ready? Since signing for Fulham Football Club two and a half years ago, Martial has gone from playing for Margate in the 7th Tier to becoming an England U20 international and a Premier League player. His inspirational rise is testimony to the quality of player that the non-league pathway is producing right now. #NLG

An amazing cup run comes to an end as Hertford Town lose 4-3 to seven-time winners Arsenal in the 3rd Round of the FA Youth Cup. By beating Cambridge United and Bristol Rovers as well as going toe-to-toe with one of the best academies in the country, Hertford have sent a strong message - the non-leagues are a hotbed for emerging talent. If your club isn't signing 1 or 2 of these high-potential late developers per season, it is falling behind. #NLG

Coincidence or the benefits of the non-league pathway? Last night was another memorable evening for Hertford Town U18s as they defeated Category 3 Academy opposition once again in the FA Youth Cup, following up their 1st Round win over Cambridge United Football Club with victory over Bristol Rovers Football Club (Official) in the 2nd Round. Every member of their starting line-up has played senior football at either Step 4 or 5 of non-league football this season, accumulating thousands of minutes and regularly impacting games, often against ex-pros almost twice their age. A number of these players were also previously in the academy system (many at Category 3s) before being released. Consequently, they have embarked on an alternative career trajectory of playing as many games as possible in senior football at a young age, instead of a further 2-3 years in a professional academy with no senior experience. Are these results then simply the magic of the cup or, by reaching the 3rd Round against Arsenal F.C, are Hertford Town demonstrating that the non-league pathway - senior football between the ages of 16-18 - has given them the edge over their full-time academy opposition? #NLG

Since Non-League Gems started collecting data in 2016, every season has seen an increase in the number of young players appearing in non-league football. The 2024/25 season is seeing record numbers. Over 2,500 teenagers have played senior football at Steps 1-5 of non-league football by November. If you're working for a UK based professional club and would like to gain access to a trial version of our non-league scouting software, please send us a DM with your email address. We will be selecting three clubs to onboard for a trial. #NLG

Just 5 months after playing at the Non-League Gems Showcase Event, Crewe Alexandra Football Club striker Adrien Thibaut receives his first international call-up to the Ireland U21 squad... It caps a remarkable rise for the 20-year-old who finished last season playing for Bradford Park Avenue in the Northern Premier League (Step 3)... Adrien's inspiring story serves as a reminder of the pool of emerging talent which sits outside the professional game in this country. With over 25,000 players appearing at Steps 1-5 each season, we believe recruiting from the non-league market should form a key part of any professional club's overall strategy. #NLG

An impressive win last night continues a remarkable run of form for Wycombe Wanderers Football Club which seems them sitting top of the League 1 table above pre-season favourites Birmingham City FC and Wrexham AFC... With a first team squad full of former non-league players, the club is reaping the rewards of investing in high-potential late developers with senior experience at a young age across the non-league pyramid. Declan Skura (Kingstonian) and Jasper Pattenden (Worthing) have produced eye-catching performances in recent weeks, whilst striker Richard Kone, signed from Step 5 side Athletic Newham in January, already has 10 goals in all competitions this season. As rival clubs spend millions on expensively assembled squads, Wycombe continue to lead the way with their low-risk, high-reward model of signing non-league talent into their development squad and providing them with a pathway into their first team. A club on an exciting upward trajectory. #NLG

Does more information increase uncertainty? With over 22,000 players competing within Steps 1-5 of the non-leagues, finding emerging talent can feel overwhelming… but does more information increase uncertainty? In many areas of life, it may be true that ‘the more you learn, the more you realise how much you don’t know’ but football scouting flips the script. In scouting, the more information you have, the more targeted and refined your focus becomes. More information from data-driven insights don’t just expand your knowledge; they refine your search, helping you spot key talent faster and make confident decisions. Information isn’t overwhelming, it’s empowering. The NLG scouting tool doesn’t create more work – it simplifies it. By leveraging over a million data points, NLG identifies less than 0.8% of players as ‘Get eyes on’ distinguishing the vital few from the trivial many. A list of 175 players might seem like a lot, but its only 15 recommendations per position which is a manageable, targeted pool especially when filtered down again by age group, experience, region, and contract status. One scout equipped with the NLG tool is ample workforce to cover the entire non-league market. #NLG

A first league goal for Crewe Alexandra Football Club striker Adrien Thibaut as the 20-year-old emerged from the bench to equalise against Newport County on his League 2 debut on Saturday 👏 In doing so, he becomes the latest former non-league player to quickly establish himself as a first-team option in the EFL within months of signing a professional contract. It was only in June that he was playing at the Non-League Gems Showcase Event... #NLG

How would your club invest the extra £122,000? 🤔 This table shows two players, from different pathways and on different trajectories, who were signed three years ago at the age of 20. The purpose of this table is to lay out the finances required to sign a senior development player from different backgrounds to conduct a cost-benefit analysis and appraise the opportunity cost.   Player A was signed from Step 3 of the non-leagues. He had over 50 senior appearances with the majority played at Step 3.   Player B was signed to a Cat 1 academy for his entire youth career but released aged 20 having only amassed 11 senior appearances whilst out on loan in Step 4.   Objectively, Player A is on an upwards trajectory whilst Player B is on a downwards trajectory. Their paths crossed when they both signed for the same club in League One.   Player A was paid a basic salary of £350 p/w which equates to £18,200 p/a. This is 70% less than Player B on £1,200 p/w (£62,400 p/a), who is unproven at senior level and on a downwards trajectory. Across the 3 seasons, Player A’s total basic salary was £65k whilst Player B’s was £187k … a difference of £122k. Player A broke into the first team whilst Player B failed to do so.   Player A is now a League One starter and Player B has been released.   Cost-benefit analysis: the benefit of signing a promising non-league player on an upwards trajectory offers: 1. a smaller financial outlay on a weekly salary, 2. significant upside potential if it’s a success, and 3. a smaller loss if its unsuccessful, …compared to a player released from a Cat 1.   Opportunity Cost: How would you use the £122k saved by developing Player A? #NLG

In June, we hosted the 5th edition of the Non-League Gems Showcase Event which saw 28 players from across the non-league pyramid playing in front of professional clubs... Three months later, we have seen three players - Jahiem Dotse (Wycombe Wanderers Football Club), Adrien Thibaut (Crewe Alexandra Football Club) and Ralph Vigrass (DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE FOOTBALL CLUB) all sign professional contracts and all make their professional debuts. Our algorithms identify 0.8% of the 15,000 non-league players as ‘Get eyes on’. Its designed to distinguish the vital few from the trivial many in order to steer good scouts to good players in the simplest way possible. If you work at a professional club and would like to learn more about our software, feel free to send us a message and we will send over a link to the demo. #NLG