English talents afforded fewer chances to impress

Barkley and Stones are two young English talents being given regular opportunities in the Premier League
Barkley and Stones are two young English talents being given regular opportunities in the Premier League
NIGEL FRENCH/PA:PRESS ASSOCIATION

The percentage of English players in starting line-ups fell below one third on the opening weekend of the Barclays Premier League campaign, fuelling the FA’s concerns about a lack of opportunities for home-grown youngsters.

Of the 220 players who started for top-flight clubs at the weekend, only 73 were eligible to play for England. That constitutes a figure of 33.2 per cent, a marked decrease from last season’s figure of 35 per cent and a dramatic fall from 69 per cent in 1992-93, when the Premier League was launched.

The division already had by far the lowest proportion of home-grown players among the leading leagues in Europe. Last season’s corresponding figures in the top divisions in Spain, France, Germany and Italy were 58, 56, 48