Premier League football clubs should have a quota of English players in order to boost homegrown talent and improve the country’s chances of winning international championships, Andy Burnham said yesterday.

In an interview with The Times, the Culture, Media and Sport Secretary said that he was willing to campaign for a change in European law if necessary, to allow a cap on the number of foreign players in top sides.

“There is an argument for a system of quotas both in terms of supporting the national team and helping to secure more equal competition within the Premier League,” he said.

Mr Burnham’s comments come after the failure of England to qualify for the recent Euro 2008 championship. Critics say that clubs in this country are poaching players from abroad rather than concentrating on developing the England stars of the future.

Fabio Capello, the Italian manager of the England national team, complained yesterday that only 35 per cent of Premier League players were English - compared with 72 per cent of Italians in Serie A - and teams such as Arsenal and Chelsea have on occasions fielded teams made up entirely of foreigners. The Culture Secretary said: “I’m not xenophobic in any way, but I care about the health of English football, the state of the grass-roots game, the quality of the competition and the ability to win of the national team. It was a bitter pill to take, not being at Euro 2008. We have to ask some hard questions about whether we are doing enough to give young English players a chance.”

Lord Triesman, chairman of the Football Association, also backed the introduction of a minimum number of English players in Premier League games. “There’s a problem that there are too few players who are eligible to play for England playing in the premiership,” he told The Times.

Mr Burnham insisted that clubs in this country needed to do more to nurture homegrown players. “Football supporters want to see their clubs have the best in the world but they also want to see young local talent being brought on,” he said. “It is like an arms race, bringing in the best from outside.”

The introduction of a quota could fall foul of European law on the free movement of workers, but Mr Burnham is ready for a fight with Brussels.

“I would be quite prepared to go to Europe and say this is our proposal, let’s see if we can get clearance for this,” he said.

“Ultimately sport is about national teams. European law should recognise the special nature of sport and be applied sensitively.”

Gerry Sutcliffe, the Sports Minister, has held talks with European sports ministers about securing flexibility for sport in the application of legislation designed to eradicate discrimination.

A White Paper produced by the European Commission last year supported the principle of encouraging “homegrown talent” in football through quotas. Other sports, including cricket, already have quotas limiting the number of foreign players.

Tackling the problem

European Union Will not allow sports to introduce rules that restrict freedom of movement

Clubs Arsenal and others have argued against discrimination on the basis of nationality

Players Footballers feel that they should be entitled to go wherever they like to earn whatever they are worth

Supporters Many mourn the declining numbers of homegrown players, but they appreciate the skills of the foreigners

Media Television companies might be less willing to pay billions of pounds for broadcasting rights if there were fewer foreign players

Source: Times database

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