England

Five ex-England managers back Football Association reforms

By Chris O'Keefe, Reporter | 02 April 2015

Greg Dyke's plan to increase the number of home-grown players in the Premier League receives backing from five ex-England managers.

Five former England managers have thrown their weight behind proposals by Football Association chairman Greg Dyke to reform how young players are developed.

Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McLaren and Graham Taylor have all signed a joint letter to Dyke, calling for the immediate implementation of the plans to increase the number of home-grown players in Premier League squads.

"Failure to do so risks England falling further behind the leading football nations and will only make it harder to end the long wait to win the World Cup," the letter reads.

"There are many reasons why England has failed to win any major honours since 1966 and each of us bears a portion of that responsibility.

"However, as the England Commission's evidence has demonstrated, the pool of English talent playing at the very top level is shrinking and it's an undeniable fact that this is a clear disadvantage for any England manager."

Under the proposals, from the 2016-17 season, the minimum number of home-grown players would gradually increase from eight to 12.