Soccer
I’m the latest Premier League player to emerge from the Non-League
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A host of Premier League players started their journey in the Non-League, and now another talent has joined the exclusive club.
Last night, high-flying Sunderland delivered another statement performance in the top flight - this time against a below-par Liverpool team at Anfield.
While to the neutral, the main headline would have been the 1-1 scoreline and Arne Slot's side going through the motions yet again, one player achieved an incredible milestone by appearing in the 91st minute.
That man was Black Cats' club captain Luke O'Nien, who, despite enduring a series of setbacks in his career, finally made his top-flight debut at the home of the Premier League champions.
From Watford reject to Wycombe Wanderers trial
Just over a decade ago, O'Nien received the news that all young footballers dread - he had been released by his boyhood club, Watford.
"My dad came home with a call from Watford. I thought it was about a new contract," he said via his X account.
"Instead, he told me I had been released, three weeks after the season ended, after being led to believe I was getting another year.
"Thirteen years at Watford, and my dad was the one who told me I was done. No meeting, no exit plan, no feedback—nothing."
While the Hemel Hempstead-born man strived to find a new EFL club, nobody would take him until he landed a trial at Wycombe Wanderers.
Why did manager Gareth Ainsworth take him on? A positive word from his former manager at Wealdstone.
How a Wealdstone loan paved the way for Luke O'Nien
During his time at Vicerage Road, O'Nien had to do what heaps of players must do and earn his stripes in the Non-League, with sixth-tier club Wealdstone.
Indeed, Grosvenor Vale was the perfect place for young Luke to find his feet, as The Stones have a stellar record of talent who have gone on to play in the Premier League.
Both Stuart Pearce and Vinnie Jones enjoyed stints with the Non-League outfit, while Jermaine Beckford is a more recent success story, having gone on to play for Everton.
In O'Nien's Conference South (now the National League South) days, he played as a defensive midfielder and notched over 40 appearances during his loan, contributing six goals.
The man responsible for giving Wycombe a glowing reference for the up-and-comer was Gordon Bartlett.
“I have got to thank the Wealdstone manager Gordon Bartlett," O'Nien told Bucks Free Press in 2015.
"I played 40-odd games for them last season and learned a great deal down at Conference South Level.
"It is tough down there; it’s a very hard league to play in, and I learned a lot about all aspects of the game."
Mr Sunderland completes journey to Premier League
O'Nien will be the first to admit that his debut for the Black Cats did not go to plan.
After starting at right wing in the opening game of the 2018-19 League One season against Charlton Athletic, he was hooked at half-time at the Stadium of Light.
However, the utility man is made of stern stuff, and although he had to bide his time to regain his place, he did so to great aplomb.
His journey on Wearside has had its setbacks, with a recurring shoulder injury and play-off defeats threatening to drag him down, but nothing has been able to halt his rise.
What has made O'Nien so popular amongst Sunderland supporters is his infectious personality and slapstick moments on the pitch, with piggybacks and kissing being his most famed antics.
At Anfield, with the score level at 1-1, Regis Le Bris put his confidence in the now-defender to steer the Black Cats to a valuable away point, and that is a testament to the player's character, influence and journey.
During the Championship play-off final in May, O'Nien was substituted off in the early stages with a dislocated shoulder, but now he has completed his journey from Non-League to Premier League.
Of course, the climb does not stop here, and all Sunderland fans know that Luke will continue giving to the North East club long after his playing days are over.
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