Manchester United’s veteran central defender Rio Ferdinand has blasted the Premier League for its reliance on foreign talent and labeled the dependency as a ‘disgrace’.
The graceful defender believes that as clubs secure more and more talent from overseas they cripple the national team’s chances of international glory.
Ferdinand, 34, used Manchester City’s recent clash with Newcastle, in which only three home grown players featured, as a case in point.
“Having so few English players in the Premier League diminishes the English team, of course it does,” Ferdinand told the Mail on Sunday.
“Look at the Manchester City game recently against Newcastle. There was barely an English player on the pitch, three out of 22 starters.
“That is a disgrace.”
The ex-England man stated that he thinks the only way to combat the problem is to introduce a minimum quota of English players in each squad that every club must adhere to.
“If you look at it and ask whether there should be a stipulation that you have a minimum number of players who are English, even just in your squad, I think that should happen,” Ferdinand said.
“I know that European laws won’t let a legal quota happen. So you can’t do that. But if you want to protect English football and its heritage and its future, something like that has to be done.”
Image courtesy of Casillero Del Diablo via YouTube, with thanks.
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