THE latest impudent exhibition from Arsenal’s young Carling Cup team was followed by some caution from Liam Brady, the club’s head of youth development. “We don’t want to get carried away,” he said. Sir Trevor Brooking ensured nobody did. The images of Jack Wilshere and Co embarrassing the adults of Wigan were fresh and Arsène Wenger’s semi-serious line was still resonating - “I think if Fabio Capello wants to have a good selection now, he has to come to our Carling Cup games” - when Brooking went on the BBC to suggest the English youth game is doomed. Crisis or bumper crop? Could it be that the answer is both?

Certainly an England fan speculating about the future health of their national team could observe a game of two halves. At Arsenal, featuring the likes of Gavin Hoyte, Jay Simpson and his Mozart of a midfielder, Wilshere, Wenger believes he has eight “top-class” English youngsters coming through, and further outstanding products are emerging from other Premier League academies such as those at Everton, Middlesbrough, West Ham, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Manchester City, and from a couple of Football League centres of excellence such as those at Southampton and Leeds. Outside these examples, however, the landscape looks barren.

Though Brooking, the Football Association’s director of football development, made several questionable complaints to do with money and his own power base, his central point was unarguable: “We should have better depth of young English players.” David Moyes has given Premier League debuts to Wayne Rooney, Jack Rodwell, Jose Baxter and other native starlets. He is also one of the few top managers still willing to scout for talent in the lower leagues, and these twin aspects make him well placed to contribute to the debate. “I agree it’s confusing,” said Moyes, asked whether England was doing well with youth development or not. “We’ve put Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert, James Vaughan, Victor Anichebe and Jack and Jose through [the academy] into our first team squad. With Everton it might be because we keep fewer numbers in the squad, because of budget restraints, but it just shows what can happen when you put in your own young players. I think that generally, though, everybody is disappointed with the standard of young players throughout English football.”

The Everton manager has his own idea of how to improve things. It would, he believes, work twofold – creating higher development standards at the top end of the game and also a better spread of talent lower down – and is a simple proposal. Premier League clubs would be allowed to sign boys on first-year scholarships when they reach 16, and Moyes would impose a strict limit on the numbers. “In the main I think most teams are taking in 10 or 12 recruits at 16,” he said. “What if we said that Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton and everyone else could only take in six? The four, five or six boys who don’t get signed would then probably end up signing for Chester or Tranmere or Macclesfield or Crewe, and what we’d start to do is maybe get some better players finding their way into those teams a bit earlier.

“I think what we in the Premier League are doing at the moment is to take all the fish out of the sea, and what happens is that many players get to near the top but then can’t find first-team football. Everton are one of the few clubs that actually puts them through into the first team but at a lot of places the boys don’t get through - and many of these boys aren’t even finding themselves Football League clubs after they’re released.

“Arsenal won’t like what I’m saying and nor will Liverpool or Manchester United, and I understand the arugment [for signing large numbers of scholars]: Premier League clubs need numbers to fill up the under16 and under18 teams we put out on a Saturday morning. But somewhere along the line, if you want to replenish, this might be the hit we have to take. I’m proud of how we bring players through at Everton but I’m also really disappointed every year when I have to release boys. I look at them and think, ‘I wish you’d signed for Chester or Tranmere, you might have played in the first team there and taken your chance’. But I’m letting boys go and a lot these days aren’t even getting a smaller club.”

Moyes is a good advertisement for strength in depth in player development. After leaving Celtic as a young centre-half he regrouped in English lower leagues and forged a good career just below the top level. What if a club such as Liverpool, who have signed 30 overseas teenagers in recent years, decided to offer every one of the six scholar places proposed by Moyes to foreigners? “So what?” Moyes said. “The six English kids who missed out would then go to Tranmere or wherever and play in the first team quicker.

“And if they were good, eventually Liverpool or Everton would have to go and buy them.”

ENGLAND’S PROSPECTS FOR THE 2018 WORLD CUP

Possible England team with ages at June 1, 2018 (4-3-3):

Joe Hart (Man City, 31) Fabio Capello is a big fan of Hart, 21, who has already made his England debut.

Gavin Hoyte (Arsenal, 27) Joined Arsenal aged nine and is known for his pace and composure. Comfortable at centre-half and right-back.

Jack Rodwell (Everton, 27) Made his club debut at 16 and is a regular England youth international. Centre-half looks his best position.

Micah Richards (Man City, 29) Well developed physically at just 21. Already has 11 England caps.

Jack Robinson (Liverpool, 24) The England under-16 player is highly rated by his coaches at international level and will be looking for first-team opportunities at Liverpool.

Jack Wilshere (Arsenal, 26) Has the X-factor that marks players out as special. The standout of Arsenal’s young Carling Cup team.

Wayne Rooney (Capt, Manchester United, 32) If Rooney avoids injury and keeps the weight off there is no reason why he should not be captaining England in 2018.

Fabian Delph (Leeds United, 28) Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle have inquired about Delph, inset, the skilful, versatile and athletic midfielder.

Theo Walcott (Arsenal, 29) Already an England hero, Walcott will still be in his 20s when 2018 comes round. He sees himself becoming a central striker.

Jack Sampson (Bolton, 25) There is a buzz in the northwest about the powerful Sampson, who is just 15 and over 6ft tall. Both Manchester United and Manchester City are said to be trying to lure him from Bolton and there is interest from Newcastle and Spurs.

Danny Welbeck (Manchester United, 27) A star for England at youth level, the teenager is described as having ‘marvellous’ aspects by Sir Alex Ferguson and has played twice for Manchester United in the Carling Cup this season.