5 Jul 2010Manchester United skipper opposes foreign quotas

Football Leagues/ Association and Governance | Football Referees, Players, Managers and Media

Manchester United captain Gary Neville has questioned the wisdom of limiting the number of overseas footballers playing in English Premier League teams and expressed doubts the measure would help the national side.

Debate has intensified since England were dumped out of the FIFA World Cup by Germany last month, but the 35-year-old right-back - writing in the Sunday Times of Malta - suggested there has been something of an overreaction to the squad's latest poor showing.

"It is quite difficult to change the whole English structure just to benefit the national team. The [English Premier League] is one of the best in the world and we accommodate foreign players," he explained.

Neville added that players with the required talent are always likely to make the breakthrough, regardless of the number of overseas stars already occupying berths at England's top-flight football clubs.

Last week, Birmingham Hall Green MP Roger Godsiff tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons calling on the English Premier League to redirect some of its TV revenue to grassroots football.

Written by Terry Mitchell

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