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Wycombe Wanderers: The 'rejects' behind their rise to the Championship

Darius Charles, Josh Parker and Alex Samuel (left to right)Getty Images

Darius Charles, Josh Parker and Alex Samuel (left to right) all ed Wycombe after being without a club

By James Law
BBC Sport

"It's probably bigger than Leicester winning the Premier League."

Wycombe Wanderers start their first ever Championship campaign on Saturday after overcoming financial troubles and proving everyone wrong to win promotion from the third tier.

But what are the insights behind one of the best underdog stories in English football?

Three of the players behind the club's rise have spoken to BBC Sport about how they too have fought against the odds to reach a career-high.

Dealing with arthritis and anxiety

Rewind less than two years and Wycombe centre-back Darius Charles was told he would have to retire by a surgeon with a labral tear in his hip, similar to the injury suffered by tennis star Andy Murray.

He was released by the club in May 2019 but manager Gareth Ainsworth allowed the 32-year-old ex-Stevenage and AFC Wimbledon defender back to train and the two parties found a way to manage the ailment and prolong his career.

That has earned Charles the nickname 'lower-league Ledley' - after former Tottenham centre-half Ledley King - who famously went years without training to protect his troublesome knee.

"Nothing's changed. I still have arthritis in my hip and it's something I deal with every day," he said, despite being able to make 29 starts in the Chairboys' promotion campaign.

"A bad day is getting caught up in 'will I be able to perform, will the gaffer still want me, what will the future hold">