One player that especially stands out is Ivan Toney, who came through the Northampton youth ranks in 2012 before blasting his way to the Premier League and the England squad.
Some players have done that in reverse as they drop down the leagues, with Marco Gabbiadini being one such player of note.
Here we take a look at 19 top ex-Cobblers who tasted life at the top of the game.
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Here we take a look at 19 top ex-Cobblers who tasted life at the top of the game.
5. Darren Carter
Carter made more than 300 appearances in the Premier League and Football League over a 14-year career He played 60 times for Cobblers between 2013/15 as he wound his career down. Photo: Pete Norton
6. Phil Neal
Neal began his playing career at Wellingborough Town, before he joined Northampton Town in 1968. He went on to make 187 appearances for the club before being signed on 9 October 1974 for £66,000 by Liverpool. Neal scored from the penalty spot in the 1977 European Cup Final, when the Anfield club beat Borussia Mönchengladbach to win the European Cup for the first time. Photo: R. Viner
7. Jason Lee
Jason Lee played 11 times for the Cobblers, scoring one goal, in the 2006 season as his career wound down. He is best known for playing three seasons in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest in the mid 1990's. Photo: Pete Norton
8. Stuart Dallas
Stuart Dallas made 12 Cobblers appearances in 2013 during a loan from Brentford. He eventually ,move to Leeds United and has played 249 times for the Yorkshire giants. Photo: Pete Norton