Barnet striker Michael Gash knows a thing or two about waiting for his chance at a higher level so when he says there are other players in non-league football who could emulate Jamie Vardy, he’s well placed to judge.

The 29-year-old had to wait until this season to make his Football League debut, missing out previously by finishing second in the Conference and losing a Play-Off Final, but has been one of the Bees’ stand-out performers, scoring six times in 13 starts.

And whilst the former Cambridge United striker is unlikely to shoot through the Football League like Leicester City’s Vardy – who on Saturday broke the Premier League record for goals in consecutive games by netting for the 11th match in a row – he believes there are other talents waiting to be unearthed.

Speaking after Tuesday’s defeat at Notts County, he said: “I’ve played with a few who have done very well in the Conference and they haven’t made the big leap three or four leagues but they’ve used clubs in League One or League Two as stepping stones and then get their big move.

“There are definitely players in the lower leagues and in non-league who can step it up and perform.

“Aaron McLean is an example. He got out of non-league football and went all the way up to play in the Premier League.

“Vardy came up from lower than the Conference, got into the Conference, moved to Fleetwood – who were the best team in the division – won the league with them and scored 30-odd goals.

“I played against him that season and he was very good; very dangerous. He had a free role out wide/up front.

“You see how well he’s done and there are a few so-called gems who have come out of non-league football and gone up to play at a higher level.”

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And with the benefit of almost half a season in the Football League behind him, Gash believes there are similarities with the Conference.

“I’m enjoying it,” he said. “It’s a tough league. I’ve come from the Conference where I’ve played most of my career and that’s a very physical league. But this is a physical league too and I think we’ve got that in our team.

“We can play and be physical as well. I think you’ve seen that in the game where we’ve performed well. Like the manager says, we’re tenacious, physical and we can bully teams. But on the flip side, sometimes when we don’t bring that we don’t get the results we want.

“Overall I’m happy, enjoying the Football League and trying to get back scoring goals.”

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After starting on the bench at Meadow Lane last week with Shaun Batt preferred up front on his own, Gash was reinstated to the starting XI for Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Mansfield Town.

But he was full of praise for former Leyton Orient forward Batt, who himself started in non-league football with Stevenage before a spell at Fisher Athletic.

“Batty is someone who can get in behind because he’s got great pace,” explained Gash. “If you give him the ball at his feet he can attack defenders and knock it past them because he’s got a great stride, he’s awkward for defenders and he’s a big lad, so he can win his fair share of headers.

“It was his first start for a long while and I think he did well coming back from injury. In training he’s been fantastic and I don’t think he really had a lot of service and that is down to everyone making runs or not keeping the ball well enough.

“It was tough for him. You look at it more as a striker on the bench and I could see it was tough for him. But he did himself no harm.”