27 Jul 2010English football clubs 'not to blame for lack of youngsters'

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

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has claimed decades of neglect by leading English footballing authorities have resulted in the current paucity of top-quality talent emerging from the country's academies.

In an interview with Goal.com, the former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United boss suggested football clubs themselves are not at fault, instead pinning the blame on successive governments and the education system.

"Until we put the early development of young players in the right order, we'll struggle to find as good players in the England squad next time around when they retire," he told the website.

Allardyce acknowledged that domestic youngsters are currently finding it difficult to break into English Premier League teams and warned that the next generation of native youth players appears "very limited".

Last month, former German internationals Franz Beckenbauer and Oliver Kahn questioned the wisdom of flooding the English top flight with overseas stars and claimed the national side could continue to suffer as a result.

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Written by Mark Thompson

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