Jamie Vardy won’t be the only England star at Euro 2016 who has graduated from the non-League school of hard knocks.

Until he was nearly 19, Manchester United defender Chris Smalling was toughing it out in the Ryman League for Maidstone United.

It’s a different path to most of the stars who will be on show in France from June 10 but Smalling, now a key figure in England’s back four, is certain he and Vardy have benefited by taking the circuitous route.

Chris Smalling was playing in the Ryman League for Maidstone United until he was nearly 19-years-old

Smalling speaks to Sportsmail's Joe Bernstein ahead of heading to France for the European Championships

The 26-year-old believes he has benefited from the circuitous route that he has taken to the top of the game

‘The advantage is you take nothing for granted. You appreciate things a lot more than being spoon-fed [at an academy] from a younger age,’ says Smalling, whose rise was rapid once he joined Fulham for £10,000.

‘Some players have not experienced that shock of not getting a pro contract and having to fight back. When you do get a second chance, you are more thankful and work even harder than the rest. We’ve seen the other side of the game without the luxury we are lucky to have now.’

Smalling sees a kindred spirit in Vardy, who spent far longer in non-League football with Halifax and Fleetwood before making it at Leicester. Whereas Smalling was initially rejected as a schoolboy by Millwall, the same happened to 16-year-old Vardy at Sheffield Wednesday.

‘It shows on the pitch. Jamie’s game is very aggressive, never giving you a moment’s peace. I like to think that has come out in my game as well. That is something we’ve learned in non-League,’ says Smalling.

Smalling was taking part in a session at Sale Sharks to inspire the public to use sports for good purposes

The Manchester United defender says that he learned how to be aggressive while playing in non-League

ENGLAND'S 26-MAN SQUAD Tom Heaton, Fraser Forster, Joe Hart, Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, Danny Rose, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Fabian Delph, Eric Dier, Danny Drinkwater, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere, Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge, Jamie Vardy and Marcus Rashford. Advertisement

‘It is very aggressive, I was a 17-year-old playing against 6ft 5in grown men who want to bully you and see you as a young kid. That has toughened me up and probably comes up in both of our games.’

Incidentally, the Fulham manager who gambled on Smalling was Roy Hodgson. After 13 Premier League matches with the club, he was considered good enough for Manchester United to sign.

Now is the pinnacle of Smalling’s career. Four years ago, he missed the Euros through injury. His only appearance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil came against Costa Rica when England had already been eliminated.

The defender has had an outstanding season, despite being sent off in yesterday’s FA Cup final, and feels he is ready to be one of the leaders in a young England team that is going to France to try to cause a shock.

Smalling missed the Euros four years ago through an injury and only played a bit part at the 2014 World Cup

He feels ready to take on a leadership role in Roy Hodgson's squad when England head to France in June

CHRIS SMALLING IN NUMBERS 13 - The number of Premier League appearances that Chris Smalling made before being signed by Manchester United Advertisement

He acknowledges the role of his former United team-mate and England legend Rio Ferdinand for making him a more forceful character.

‘Tony Adams and Rio were the players I looked up to growing up because of their professionalism and the way they went about their jobs. I was lucky enough to play with Rio. He was very vocal, the one on the pitch who shouted the most. He never shut up even though people regarded him as a casual player because of his class.

‘He taught me to never shut up because we were the eyes and ears of everyone. Communication is half your job on the pitch. You can save someone doing a 60-yard run instead of a 10-yard run if you give them a heads-up.

Smalling says that one of the players he looked up to while growing up was former Arsenal hero Tony Adams

He admitted that he was lucky to play alongside Rio Ferdinand towards the end of his career at Old Trafford

‘When I started out, I was shyer. I might say the odd bit but wouldn’t always be on the front foot. Rio was a catalyst, he told me to say what I thought and not be bothered what people might say back.

‘Now when I start to speak, it stokes me up... I can do a gee-up in the changing room but it’s more on the pitch, that’s where I think it’s most important. I go from relaxed to making sure I am very loud once I cross the white line. Joe Hart is another one, very vocal. It’s great to hear a voice always coaching you behind you. He’s a good presence.’

It should be reassuring that the young attacking talent England will take into the tournament will be backed up by proper characters at the other end trying to keep the door shut.

England haven’t reached the semi-finals of a major tournament since Euro 96 on home soil. It will be Hodgson’s third big competition. No England player knows him better than Smalling, who says the manager can be at his most demanding when things are going well.

Smalling was given a chance in professional football by Fulham, where he played 13 Premier League games

‘Good managers can put an arm around the shoulder or make it clear they expect more, depending on the circumstances. Roy can be very analytical but he is not afraid to raise the tone of his voice.

‘It might happen if we are cruising at half-time, a case of not getting complacent. Even though you may think you’ve had a good first half, he will pick up on something you could have done better and highlight it, to keep you on your toes.’

France, Spain and Germany are favourites to win this summer but England have their backers, too.

Smalling is aware of how significant an England triumph would be, 50 years on from 1966, but he stresses the main focus has to be on the opening game against Russia — not even Gareth Bale and Wales in the second group game is allowed to be a distraction.

England's Jamie Vardy, who has also had a spell in non-League football, is seen as a kindred spirit by Smalling

‘In tournament football, it’s all-important to get off to the right start. We saw that from the World Cup, we lost against Italy and everything changed for the second game.

‘Start to get ahead of yourselves and you miss some of the hurdles that are in front of you. There will be a lot of hype about our second group game with Wales but we have to think of the first one, we can enjoy the rivalry to come with a good win under our belts.’

England have a positive frame of mind since a memorable 3-2 victory against world champions Germany in Berlin in March.

‘We have really pressed as a team and not sat off in the last few games,’ says Smalling, who will miss today’s friendly against Turkey because he was involved in the FA Cup final for Manchester United against Crystal Palace. Obviously you can’t press in every situation against every team, but when there is that opportunity I think you can see the legs in our team — especially against Germany.We can cause some of the best teams problems.’

Current England manager Hodgson was the manager who took a chance on Smalling and signed him at Fulham

Smalling says that Ferdinand taught him how to be vocal on the pitch, which he has added to his own game

Smalling goes into Euro 2016 with plenty of experience. He’s marked Bale at Old Trafford and plays at club level alongside France’s hot young prospect Anthony Martial.

‘Bale is quick, strong, can run past defenders... but if you only concentrate on him, others will take advantage,’ he says. ‘There are too many good players at the Euros to over-worry about one or two.’

Talking of France, where the real action takes place very soon, perhaps it’s an omen that Smalling recently met his favourite Frenchman, Eric Cantona. ‘I was like a little kid, “Can I have a picture?”’ smiles Smalling. ‘When you see legends like that, it is everyone’s dream to have that much of an impact that current players look up to you’.

So far, just two England centre-halves have won a major trophy for their country — Bobby Moore and Jack Charlton. Smalling’s status will be assured if he can join them this summer — another victory for non-League to shout about.