• Premier League

Scudamore defends foreign influx

Richard Scudamore says a radical new youth policy can help the national team © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Cruyff slams English league policies
  

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore insists the heavy foreign influence in the top flight of English football is not to blame for England's poor performance at the World Cup.

England won just one of their four matches in South Africa, failing to reach the quarter-finals, prompting widespread criticism of the English league set-up and the high number of foreign players.

Scudamore believes a shake-up of the youth set-up at Premier League clubs will help the national side's cause, but he is adamant that there are not too many foreign players in the league.

"It's not an acceptance that we have to do something about the foreign players, it's the opposite: if you are going to make it as an English player into our first teams you have got to be world class," he said.

"There were 222 English-qualified players who played first-team football in the Premier League last season and we believe that is enough to find 11 to perform in international competition. What we really want is an England manager who is spoiled for choice.

"But ultimately we don't pick the team, motivate them or organise the set-up, that's where our role ends."

Following a review by director of youth development Ged Roddy, the Premier League plan to reform the youth systems, increasing the number of hours coaching provided by academies.

"If you go too far and try to artificially prop up English talent which isn't good enough it won't get the league or England anywhere," Scudamore said. "Populating our league with players who aren't good enough to compete with the world's best won't be good.

"We have to make sure development systems are bringing through enough players of world-class talent."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.