
<p>The magical Wrexham FA Cup run continues to <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/wrexham-helping-to-grow-the-reach-of-soccer-in-the-usa-20230129-WST-417497.html">enthrall soccer fans</a> in the United States. And the hype of everyone’s new favorite Welsh side has led to next week’s Wrexham FA Cup replay airing on ESPN2, as well as <a href="https:\/\/go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESPN+</a>.</p>



<p>The move to the big cable network comes after the initial FA Cup 4th Round 3-3 draw with Sheffield United was the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/tv/interest-in-wrexham-sheff-utd-fa-cup-game-peaks-on-espn-20230201-WST-417989.html">most-followed game of the day</a> on ESPN’s digital platforms last Sunday. The replay on Tuesday, February 7th will determine who advances to the FA Cup 5th Round <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/fa-cup-5th-round-draw-offers-prospect-of-wrexham-vs-spurs-20230130-WST-417664.html">to play Tottenham Hotspur</a>.</p>



<h4>Recommended viewing option:</h4>
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<h4>Watch Wrexham in the FA Cup</h4>
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<p>The first game at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham was full of drama. Late back-and-forth action nearly saw the home side pull off a heroic upset. But it was not to be, as Sheffield United equalized and forced the replay. Still, Wrexham remains the lowest ranked, and only non-league, club left in the FA Cup. Kickoff for the replay is set for 2:45 PM ET on Tuesday.</p>



<h2>Wrexham FA Cup replay on ESPN2 and ESPN+</h2>



<p>ESPN2 and ESPN+ have ESPN FC pregame coverage starting at 2:30 PM. Dan Thomas, Steve Nicol, and Alejandro Moreno are in the studio, with Jon Champion and Craig Burley calling the match. Alexis Nunes is on the sidelines at Bramall Lane in Sheffield.</p>



<p>The winner of the replay has been drawn to face Tottenham Hotspur at home. Hosting a Premier League side in the 5th round would surely be a dream for Wrexham. No doubt it would make great content for <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/tv/mcelhenney-confirms-welcome-to-wrexham-season-two-20221013-WST-404291.html">season two</a> of <em>Welcome to Wrexham</em>. Sheffield United, of course, are no pushovers, currently securely in second place in the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/championship-tv-schedule/">Championship</a> and looking likely to be promoted to the Premier League next season.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Welcome to Wrexham: Interview with Humphrey Ker 🐉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷" width="500" height="281" src="https:\/\/www.youtube.com/embed/LNP0zn7oeAs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<p>The news of their next FA Cup game appearing on ESPN2 comes hot on the heels of more USA-centric Wrexham happenings. The club will also <a href="https:\/\/www.espn.com/soccer/wrexham/story/4867493/ryan-reynolds-wrexham-to-enter-new-us-summer-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">field a team in a new 7-v-7 tournament</a> in Cary, NC this summer. This is in addition to a US <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/wrexham-to-play-mls-teams-in-summer-2023-tour-20221218-WST-412630.html">summer tour against MLS opposition</a>.</p>



<h2>Wrexham and the Disney Bundle</h2>



<p>Wrexham AFC, the subject of hit FX series&nbsp;<a href="https:\/\/play.acast.com/s/world-soccer-talk-premier-league-mls-champions-league-efl-and-more/welcome-to-wrexham" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Welcome to Wrexham</a>, continues its Cinderella story in the FA Cup Fourth Round. The Welsh club is currently atop the National League standings, the fifth tier of English soccer.</p>



<p>Part of the reason why ESPN is putting its weight behind promoting Wrexham is due to the&nbsp;<a href="https:\/\/go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Disney Bundle</a>&nbsp;that includes ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+. Wrexham’s FA Cup games are featured on ESPN+, while the&nbsp;<em>Welcome to Wrexham</em>&nbsp;series can be binged on Hulu. Completing the trio is Disney+, featuring plenty of family entertainment.</p>



<p>Certainly the timing of Wrexham’s success helps when Disney is promoting its&nbsp;<a href="https:\/\/go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Disney Bundle for $12.99 per month</a>.<br><br>Win or lose, the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/wrexham-is-americas-biggest-soccer-story-right-now-20230202-WST-418248.html">Wrexham train</a> will keep rolling as the club looks to secure promotion back into the Football League. One way or the other, it likely won’t be too long before we see them on ESPN again.<br><br><em>Photo: Imago</em></p>


The surge in popularity of the Welsh club has led to the Wrexham FA Cup replay to air on ESPN2 as well as ESPN+

Wrexham FA Cup replay added to ESPN2 vs Sheffield United - World Soccer Talk

Wrexham FA Cup replay added to ESPN2 vs Sheffield United

<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/varddy.jpg"></a></p><figure class="image"><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/varddy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-118237" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20141007_CMS_118236_varddy-600x450_54024bfb.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=450" alt="varddy" width="600" height="450" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/17050255/varddy-600x450.jpg 600w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/17050255/varddy-150x112.jpg 150w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/17050255/varddy-300x225.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/17050255/varddy.jpg 620w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></figure><p></p>
<p>Before the start of this season, if you didn’t follow the English Football League, you probably hadn’t heard of Jamie Vardy. After his instrumental role in Leicester City’s extraordinary come back against <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/10/06/jamie-carragher-is-wrong-david-silva-is-not-two-or-three-levels-above-juan-mata/">Manchester United</a>, you’ll know who he is now, and no doubt his rapid rise to the top. Three years ago, at the age of 24, he was playing for Halifax Town in the Northern Premier League, six divisions below the Premier League. A move to Fleetwood Town in the Conference followed before a record £1m move to Leicester City of The Championship. The fee was <a href="http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/topic/80298-jamie-vardy-to-leicester-in-1m-scoop/page-2">questioned at the time by many</a> and used as a symbol of a vastly over-inflated transfer market where a Conference striker is bought for £1m. In retrospect, considering Vardy’s 16 goals last season that contributed to The Foxes promotion to the Premier League, as well was his performance against United on the weekend, £1m looks an absolute bargain!</p>
<p>Whilst bullying the likes of Rafael and Chris Smalling may not quite be the challenge presented by United defenders of days gone by, he’s performance certainly capped a remarkable rise to the top. That said, Vardy’s certainly not the first player to start his career from humble beginnings. Several players have <a href="http://caelumcontracts.com/premier-league-tradesmen/">worked in the construction industry</a> before turning professional and the following three players definitely took an unorthodox route to the top:</p>
<p><strong>Dean Windass</strong></p>
<p>After a hard days graft on a building site laying bricks, you get home, have your tea and get to the match on a Tuesday night. Half way through your first pint at the bar, your club’s manager storms along the corridor, rushing over to you waving a shirt in his hand. He needs an extra player and tells you to get a kit on. If you’d heard that this was the story of how Dean Windass turned pro (it’s not!), you could probably believe it. If ever there was a player who looked like he’d been dragged from the bar, pint and cigarette in hand, to play on the pitch, it’s Windass. Whilst his rise to the top wasn’t quite as dramatic as the fictional story above, Windass did have to fight from the bottom of the football pyramid. He was released by Hull City as a teenager, and following several unsuccessful trials with other clubs around the country, he started playing part-time for non-league North Ferriby United. During the day, he worked as a <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/dean-windass-i-told-a-story-from-the-heart-ive-lost-a-few-family-members-from-it-thats-just-the-way-it-is-833633.html">hod carrier and packed peas</a>. It wasn’t until the age of 22 that Windass signed a professional contract, re-joining Hull and his former manager who had originally released him from the club. Windass’ rise to the top culminated in his famous hat-trick for <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/fa_carling_premiership/721985.stm">Bradford in their 4-4 draw with Derby County</a> in 2000. The point earned kept Bradford in with a chance of Premier League survival, which they achieved on the last game of the season.</p>
<p><strong>Neville Southall</strong></p>
<p>Whilst Windass rarely had the look of a professional athlete, the same could be said for Neville Southall who had the look of a Sunday League goalkeeper. He certainly didn’t play like one and, from a non-league background, played out a career which earned him a place in the Everton Hall of Fame as a club legend. Southall left school at 16 with no qualifications and worked as a <a href="http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/other-bodies/football-writers/fascinating-read-from-loner-southall-is-a-book-apart/">bin man, hod carrier and waiter</a> whilst playing in local non-leagues across North Wales. Aged 22, Southall took a pay cut by leaving his job as a hod carrier to sign a professional contract with Bury. A year later, he signed for Everton and would become an Everton and Premier League legend, remembered for great performances, like his dual with Coventry keeper Steve Ogrizovic in the <a href="http://toffeeweb.com/season/97-98/reports/coventry_a.htm">greatest 0-0 draw</a> in Premier League history, or his <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2200084/Neville-Southall-interview-When-stayed-pitch-half-time-father-teenagers.html">infamous protest</a> against having a transfer request rejected (allegedly) by sitting down against the goal post during a half time of the match between Leeds United in 1990-91 when his teammates were in the changing room.</p>
<p><strong>Craig Dawson</strong></p>
<p>As Dawson has represented both England U-21 and Team GB in the 2012 London Olympics, it seems odd including him in the bracket of an unearthed gem. However, whilst Dawson has been playing with West Bromwich Albion since the age of 20, his arrival at the club was unorthodox. Aged 17, Dawson was working in his local pub as a glass collector. He wasn’t even playing in the non-leagues; he’d left his childhood team at 16 and his only playing time was in the form of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18787479">Saturday League football</a> with his mates. Bernard Manning Jr, the son of the famous comedian and owner of Radcliffe Borough of the Northern Premier League knew all about Dawson’s talent having seen him play with his son’s team. He persuaded Dawson to sign for his club and the player shone for Radcliffe in a two-year spell before being spotted by Rochdale. After one season at Rochdale, he was signed by West Bromwich Albion and became a Premier League and England U-21 player and Olympian.</p>
<p>So, to all those Sunday league players out there, never give up the dream!</p>

4 Footballers Who Rose From Construction Sites to the Premier League

4 Footballers Who Rose From Construction Sites to the Premier League - World Soccer Talk

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4 Footballers Who Rose From Construction Sites to the Premier League