Two-thirds of the players who started in the opening round of fixttures in the Premier League were foreign nationals. In the initial Premier League season in 1992 73.1 per cent were English nationals, but this figure has now fallen to 33.6 per cent.
Two-thirds of the players who started in the opening round of fixttures in the Premier League were foreign nationals. In the initial Premier League season in 1992 73.1 per cent were English nationals, but this figure has now fallen to 33.6 per cent.
With the appearance of Victor Wanyama for Southampton last Saturday the number of foreign nations that have supplied a Premier League player increased to 98. The total will reach 99 if and when Fernando Amorebieta, Fulham’s Venezuela defender, makes his league debut for the club.
Kenya is the 24th African nation to have been represented in the Premier League, and is among 14 countries to have provided a single player. The others include Albania, the Faroe Islands, Guadeloupe, Malta, Montserrat, Oman and the Seychelles. There’s a quiz question there somewhere.
Only one fifth (12 out of 61) of the signings made over the summer by top flight clubs have been of English players. None of last year”s top eight have signed any English players so far in the transfer window.
Foreign players can offer better value and as the Financial Times discussed at the weekend many top clubs keep younger talented home grown players away from the first team but on the books in the hope that they might be the next big thing and to prevent rivals getting hold of them. This inhibits their development as players.