4 Feb 2008MPs want foreign players cap

A group of MPs want to see the number of foreign players plying their trade in England to be capped.

An Early Day Motion has been tabled, with 23 MPs backing the call for fewer foreign players.

Those who support the motion claim that British players are being held back as a result of an influx of overseas players such as Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Torres.

The MPs claim that they have become concerned about the state of the English game as foreign players now out number British ones in the Premier League.

"It is perfectly reasonable to ask clubs to have at least three UK-born players on the park at any one time," MP Alan Simpson told the BBC.

However, the idea has been dismissed by Conservative MEP Chris Heaton-Harris, who said that employment laws must apply to football.

"There is no way sport will get an exemption from employment law," he commented.

Much has been made of a reported lack of high quality English players after the national side failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

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