27 Jul 2010Cut English Premier League foreigners, says Ardiles

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

Legendary former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ossie Ardiles believes the English Premier League should impose quotas on the number of foreign footballers plying their trade in the country's top flight.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Argentinean suggested lower-league clubs should be prohibited from importing any overseas players at all and said the development of domestic youngsters is being restricted.

"Right now everybody has foreign players - even down to the third and fourth divisions," he explained. "They have any name, not because they are so good but because they are cheaper than the counterpart you'll find in England."

However, Ardiles was quick to commend the contributions of leading foreign-born stars such as Eric Cantona, Jurgen Klinsmann and Thierry Henry, but warned that many modern stars are more concerned with celebrity than football.

England's disappointing exit from this summer's FIFA World Cup has sparked considerable debate about what can be done to bring through more top-quality native talent.

Written by Paul Roberts

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