The talk of too many foreigners in the English Premier League has been around for a long, long time. I'm not going to bore you with that but look at the situation in reverse.
Why is England the only European country that doesn't continually export it's players?
The way i see it, there is one top class British player playing outside Britain. He is of course, David Beckham at LA Galaxy in the U.S, via Real Madrid in Spain.
Recently, Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate tried their luck at Madrid. I wouldn't say either of them failed but circumstances went against them.
Robbie Keane had a go in Serie A, but again things never really worked out.
Frank Lampard is widely tipped to be the next British export and may follow Jose Mourinho to his next club. That would make it two English internationals abroad!
It's a far cry from the late 80's to mid 90's where top class British talent could be seen at some of the best and biggest clubs the world had to offer.
David Platt (Sampdoria), Ian Rush (Juventus), Trevor Steven (Marseille), Mark Hately (Monaco), Gary Lineker (Barcelona), Paul Gascoigne (Lazio) and many more.
I admit the English league wasn't as strong back then and British teams were banned from Europe but take out Ian Rush and you have half the England side playing abroad!
Why doesn't it happen anymore?
Big clubs in the UK are happy to buy great players from less glamerous foreign clubs, so why don't European clubs return the favour?
I admit myself I was quite shocked to hear Real Madrid were interested in Scotland International Steven Fletcher and AC Milan's interest in West Ham's George McCartney, but why?
I bet the fans Villarreal of had quite a chuckle when they heard Newcastle United had bid 6.3 million pounds for their diddy left back, Jose Enrique!
Clearly he is no where near the consistent standard of McCartney, so what are British clubs playing at?!?
Steve Sidwell could get a game in plenty of Champions League sides across Europe, yet he will choose to sit on the bench for Chelsea before returning to a side with no European ambition. Why?
When Spanish, Italian or German teams sign foreign players the Spanish, Italian or German players pushed out are happy to go and have a crack overseas, so why not the English?
The fact England has the strongest second level in the world (The Coca Cola Championship) must be testament to the fact English players are scared to go abroad. James Beattie may be banging them in for Sheffield United but he could also be banging them in for 80% of Europe's top division sides!
I'd love to play in the Championship but I'm not as good as James Beattie!
People have been immigrating successfully from Britain for hundreds of years, just not the footballers it seems.
England's national team would surely benefit from more English players playing around the world. Fabio Capello, in fact, must have the least air miles of any top international manager!
Is it a lack of ambition? Is it about the money? Or have players today just got no sense of adventure?
I can't give you the answers but wouldn't it be great to see British players around the world dominating football?
Comments (13) Add a comment »
from 2 days ago
Part of me want see him go and do well at a so-called "free-flowing" football team. The other part of me, dont see him leave after all these years. i bet 99% of Chelsea fans would be against him leaving. Having said that, I would hate to see him in an Inter or Juve shirt. They arent much better than Chelsea when it comes to playing style.. Ive always wondered how Lampard would handle himself in team full of style and flair, where he is not THE MAN and he has to earn the fans over.......
from 2 days ago
Do you think that is maybe what a lot of players are worried about...earning a reputation again?
from 2 days ago
Yeah it probably has something to do with it. Most British players too one dimensional. As soon as something new is introduced, they struggle to adapt. Hence, the reason why the National team has failed, when the coaches keep getting sacked..
from 2 days ago
There are also plenty of players who come to England and fail. Garry O' Conner was a big success in Russia but has flopped in the EPL.
But yeah most players would fail in foreign countries but there are plenty of British players with class to succeed.
from 2 days ago
It's not just the players. Managers dont really leave these shores either. Name one British manager abroad now? When they do, they generally do pretty damned well. Roy Hodgson at Inter, Bobby Robson at PSV, Sporting lisbon and Barca, Venebles at Barca, Souness in Portugal and Turkey, Toshack at Madrid. In fact if you look at the most successful managers the England National Team have had over the last 20 years and all of them have managed abroad! Robson, Venables and Eriksson.
As for the players, I always get the feeling foreigners are more adaptable than English players. you're right about the Championship though. There's a very steady level of good British players that sit beneath the Top flight but rarely do they push on.
from 2 days ago
Another great point. Even our great explorer Roy Hodgseon is back in the England!.
I know foreigners are more adaptable but it's amazing considering how outgoing and adventurous british people have been in the past.
from 2 days ago
The sad thing with beckham is he is playing for a low quality team. Lampard could go abroad, but I think he's at that point in his life where he'll want to be settled, so I think he may stay with Chelsea.
It is amazing to see Britsh Clubs desperately trying to get top foreign starts, rather than get some great british stars. I wonder if we will ever see a British side an entirely Britsh first team?
Garry O'Connor was a massive sucess in Russia and showed that players can go abroad and be successful.
Good article mate.
from 2 days ago
Thanks mate. Well I doubt we will have all british teams again anytime soon. Sepp Blatter wants to start us back on that track though and he usually gets his way.
from 2 days ago
Obviously this doesnt apply to all players, but remember how Eto'o and Kameni were racially abused so often?? Im just thinking out loud here, but maybe a player would not like to go to Spain because of that sort of treatment.
Then you have the incident where Dida was hit by a flare in the Milan derby, would that happen in an EPL game??
I think Lampard would be a success no matter where he goes but I dont think he will go anywhere now. Chelsea could win the title and are in the final of the Champions League, who wouldnt want to remain in a team strong enough to do both and also where you are adored by the fans?
from 2 days ago
I some how doubt that racial abuse or flares have much to do with the situation but more to do with the lack of a market for British players abroad.
Lampard would definately be a success abroad and it's just speculation but my article was aimed more at football on a whole and hundreds of other footballers who have it a lot worse than Frank.
I do also believe British football can benefit from some of its top stars playing abroad.
from 2 days ago
Your right that British football could benefit from playing abroad but why leave when the Premiership consistently attracts the best players and is the highest quality league?
from 2 days ago
I know and it's a fair point. If I was playing at Frank Lampard's level I would think sotoo. He has done it all in England now though. What about Players like Beattie or Sidwell...not top four players but capable of Europe none the less?
from about 5 hours ago
well hello Andrew how ru?Did you watch your team this weekend cheating as always!!!!Daniel losing the head and elbows only to get a yellow David scores an own goal offside was the call just like the cis cup final brick wall penalty deinied for Dundee Utd CHEATS CHEATS CHEATS!!!!!!But when it comes to the 22 may every decision will go Rangers and Dundees way just to trying cover up how you lot cheat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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