Luke Varney has completed a fantastic footballing journey from the Leicestershire Senior League to the Premier League. And it is a journey which has taken him from the shop floor of a hosiery factory in the city to rubbing shoulders with the game's glitterati in the top-flight of the English game.

Not only that, but he marked his first start in the Premier League with a debut goal for Blackpool, the latest staging-post in a seven-year professional career which started at Crewe and has taken in Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby.

Varney earned man-of-the-match plaudits and Match of the Day coverage for his strike in the 2-2 draw with Fulham, just 24 hours after meeting his new team-mates for the first time.

Speaking to the Mercury from Blackpool's training camp in Latvia, he cast his mind back to his first tentative steps in the game.

"I'd worked at a cash and carry warehouse and then a hosiery place in Tudor Road and was happy playing for Birstall United," said Varney.

"Quorn were interested in signing me but it was a bit far for me because I didn't drive.

"But my girlfriend Carly, (now Mrs Varney) comes from there and said it was a nice club and that the chairman, Stuart Turner, was good.

"There were times when I was struggling because I worked shifts and Stuart used to pick me up. I've always had his support."

Turner was at Bloomfield Road last weekend as he travelled with his son, Iain, to be Varney's guests at the game.

Turner said: "It was a very proud moment and the fact he scored topped it all off.

"The great thing about Luke is that he's a proper person, he's no big-time Charlie and has worked hard for his breaks."

That's true. He's a dyed-in-the-wool Leicester lad.

When he was asked by the Mercury, if he had been to Latvia before, he replied: "No, and I won't be coming back!

He added: "I think it's important to keep level-headed. Last weekend was the greatest because I didn't even think I would be starting and end up scoring on my debut.

"But then it's a case of getting back to reality because the game does have its ups and downs."

And it's fair to say, Varney has experienced one or two.

He had four years at Crewe and, in his final season, 2006-07, scored 25 goals, including the one which took a League Cup tie with Manchester United into extra-time.

There was interest that summer from Middlesbrough but Varney moved to Charlton, scoring on his debut against his hometown club, but the move to the Addicks, newly dumped into the Championship after a spell in the top flight, never really worked out.

Varney said: "It was a weird period in the club's history and they ended up in League One."

Varney scored 10 goals in 57 appearances and reflected: "That was okay but I wanted to score more."

A loan move to Derby late in 2008 became permanent in 2009 and he said: "It was great to come home after living in London for a while. Carly has been great and given me so much support.

"She's right behind me and we are married now and hope to start a family."

But Varney has only started 12 games for the Pride Park club and had a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday which saw him score 11 goals.

"I had a great time there and the fans were superb. It was such a shame they were relegated," he said

There are suggestions that financial restraints are limiting Varney's chances at Derby as the Mercury understands that Charlton have a sell-on clause based on the number of appearances for Nigel Clough's side.

"I don't really want to go into that because I really want things to work out at Derby They are a big club and a have great fan base."

Inevitably, every time a transfer window opens and shuts, the possibility returns of Varney one day playing for his home-town club.

He said: "It's perhaps not going to happen now. Paulo Sousa is signing different players but you never know. It's always been my dream."