Arteta's Inclusion in the England Team Could Start a Dangerous Trend

For those not up to date with the latest controversial issue to arise in the England set-up, then allow me to fill you in. Everton player and Spaniard Mikel Arteta has qualified to play for the English national team having lived in the British Isles for the required number of days as well as having never received a call-up for the Spanish team. 

I truly feel for Arteta, he is a very good player and could walk on to most national teams, but the Spanish one is packed with midfield talent. Why Sergio Busquets is picked ahead of him is a troubling issue to be dealt with elsewhere. 

Arteta would doubtless add something to the England midfield with his smooth passing and strong style of play, but this is a different point to whether he should play for England. 

People will undoubtedly cite the German team as being 'filled with foreigners,' but this merely represents a widespread fallacy. The likes of Boateng and Oezil are one or more generations into being German while the players of more easterly origin qualify through 'Ausslander' rules of citizenship in place in Germany, which allows people from areas that used to be German in the recent past to return to what is now Germany.

The only troubling issue is Brazilian-born striker Cacau, but he is not a regular starter, so it's less of a controversial issue.

Were Arteta to play one could assume he would warrant more game time than that, his qualities being what many see as what the England team lack.

In the end it is only Capello who can make the choice, Arteta having already stated a certain level of enthusiasm for the role, but there has been vehement objections to his inclusion in the England team.

It is difficult to disagree with many of the objections as well. If national teams can simply wait for the best young players in their leagues to gain citizenship, it might set a precedent of multi-national national teams, which of course renders international competition pointless.

Smaller nations could find their best talents refusing call-ups to keep the option of English, Spanish, German, or Italian citizenship a possibility. Whether these countries accept this is of course a totally different matter, but the allure of the best possible players is a strong one for a coach to have to resist.

The call of playing for a better equipped national team would also be a strong temptation for young players plying their trades abroad. If there's a choice between a smaller nation or a nation with a real chance at winning, then patriotism might as well not be a stumbling block to gaining citizenship.

On a personal level, I am a fan of Mikel Arteta—his skill and robust nature make him an excellent player, but I do not think he should play for England. If he had lived in England since childhood or came from a Spanish family living in England the issue might be different. 

One important factor to consider is that if Arteta joins the England team it is another spot taken that will not go to a promising English talent, like Arteta's midfield colleague Jack Rodwell. To my mind it makes more sense to promote English youth, which is there, rather than fill roles with controversial choices.

How do you feel about the issue? Does Arteta's potential helping the England team transcend the issue of his nationality? Let me know below...