FA Chairman laments on the low number of homegrown players in EPL

The current FA chief has expressed his concern over the number of homegrown players in the English Premier League.

“On the wider of issue of club and country, the number of English players in the Premier League and the Football League is a really important matter,” said Bernstein.

A fan favourite among Manchester City supporters during his time as Chairman of the club, Bernstein stated: “We have this number of around 30% and in Germany it is more than 50% (the actual figure is nearly 60%) and that 20% is a lot of players. We desperately need to increase the pool of real quality players that the manager Roy Hodgson has to choose from. That I think is the big issue.”

Recently, the Three Lions manager had admitted that this issue is of great concern for the England National team.

Bernstein said that it is a work in progress.“All the work we are doing such as in youth development is aimed at doing that over the next few years and it’s great to see some very good players coming through now such as Jack Wilshere. There are some coming through but we need many more.”

Though he was optimistic of England’s chances in the qualifiers for the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the impact that Hodgson has had on the team since taking over the reins from the then England boss Fabio Capello in May last year.

“The spirit engendered by Roy has been absolutely excellent. The relationship between the chairman and the manager in any football club or organisation is important and you are right, we do get on very well. There is a chemistry there.

“I think things are in really good shape. I am confident that we will move on, get the results and qualify for the World Cup. I am sure that having played in the Maracana that the players will be desperate to get back here.

It is obviously extremely important [to qualify]. At the end of the day we want to be in the major championships and for England not to be in the finals would just be selling ourselves short.

Our public want it, our fans want it, the players want it, the manager desperately wants it. We have some difficult matches ahead make no mistake, we have seen already the teams in our group are very good so we are going to have to play very well, we have big home matches coming up.

“But I am confident we will get there. We certainly need to be here it’s a wonderful place and it’s going to be a magnificent tournament.”

Source: Sky Sports