Becoming a successful football player doesn’t happen over night. Although there are those football players like Paul Pogba and Delle Alli who turn heads at a young age, and quickly become overnight sensations, there are plenty more players who spend years struggling to get to the top.

From playing in non-league football to sitting on the bench at clubs before getting a chance to shine, these 3 players show that hard work in football does pay off.

1. Luca Toni

Luca Toni played for 16 teams in 22 years of playing professional football. Toni scored 268 career goals and won the 2006 World Cup with Italy. Despite his success, Toni didn’t reach the top-flight of football until 2000. Prior to that, Toni played for five different clubs in the second and third divisions in Italy. It wasn’t until 2003-04 when he returned to the second division with Palermo that he finally had a career breakout. That season saw Toni score 30 goals, and he never looked back.

2. Jay DeMerit

Jay DeMerit may not have achieved the heights that Luca Toni did during his career, but DeMerit still overcame great odds to be a professional footballer. DeMerit moved to England after graduating university in the United States. He worked regular jobs as he played for teams as low as the ninth-tier of English football. His perseverance paid off and DeMerit worked his way up to the Premier League with Watford. DeMerit also played for the United States national team during the 2010 World Cup, capping off a very successful career.

3. Didier Drogba

Many remember Didier Drogba as a world-class striker for Chelsea, banging in goals in the Premier League. The striker scored over 100 goals for Chelsea during his time at the club, but Drogba wasn’t seen as a top player when he was young. In fact, Drogba was never taken on by a professional club’s youth team until he was 18. It wasn’t until Drogba was 21-years old that he actually received his first professional football contract. The rest is history.

These three players prove that you don’t have to be a hot prospect as a youngster. With hard work, you can still make it as a successful football player in the professional ranks.