HUNGER GAMES INSPIRE CHRIS

VINCENT Kompany once said you could walk into the Burnley branch of Tesco and discover a talented footballer.

- Chris Dunlavy

What matters, the Belgian insisted, was the other stuff - attitude, work-rate, the resilience to fail and go again. It's a sentiment shared by Halifax boss Chris Millington. Much like his friend and predecessor Pete Wild, the 49-year-old has perfected the art of rescuing academy rejects, turning them into National League stars and sending them back to EFL.

Jesse Debrah, released by Millwall as a teenager, was plucked from Dulwich Hamlet and sold to Port Vale. Kane Thompson-Sommers spent a decade on the books at Spurs and Birmingham before rebooting his career at Hereford. Signed by the Shaymen in 2023, he is now playing for MK Dons in League Two. Just last month, ex-Huddersfield forward Andrew Oluwabori joined Exeter, following in the footsteps of Millenic Alli who has since moved to Luton. And the secret to their success?