Premier stars at risk

Tuesday, 10/08/2010

From September 1 England’s finest will have to be a little more selective with their squad selections as the new Premier League 25-man senior player squad comes into play.

Whilst the face of Premier League football will not be transformed completely in the short-term, with many clubs still operating with a large contingent of foreign players in their ranks, it is hoped that a few years down the line more young English players will break through and make the grade at the highest level.

The need for a wider pool of English talent was ruthlessly exposed during the Three Lions’ disastrous World Cup campaign this summer and something certainly needs to be addressed in the very fabric of our national game. Whether this rule goes far enough remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

So what do the rules mean for Premier League sides?

Each club can only name 25 ‘senior players’ in their squad, and eight of these have to be home grown.

‘Senior’ applies to players older than 21-years-old and home grown means players that have been registered at an English or Welsh club for three years between their 16^th and 21^st birthdays. These players don’t have to be English or Welsh.

If clubs don’t have eight senior home grown players in their squad then they have to name smaller squads.

There is no limit on the number of players under the age of 21, potentially meaning greater first-team opportunities for younger players who may have been sent out on loan otherwise.  

Once these selections have been made teams cannot make changes to their 25-man senior squad until the January transfer window.

That means some highly rated stars at the bigger clubs will be left out in the cold and sidelined for months. Here are a few of the big names that could find themselves permanently rotated between now and the New Year:

Jonathan Woodgate – Tottenham
Harry Redknapp has already intimated that the injured centre back won’t make it into his top 25 and will spend the next few months attempting to recover from his latest set-back. Former England international Woodgate may never establish himself in the Spurs side again as a result, something which could prematurely curtail his career.

Stephen Ireland – Man City
Money bags City have been the busiest top flight club in the transfer market this summer bringing in senior foreign stars like David Silva, Yaya Toure and Jerome Boateng. With further signings lined up, Roberto Mancini will have an abundance of over 21’s and some very talented footballers could find themselves kicking their heels. Attacking midfielder Ireland may fit into this mould and could be joined in the stands by other big names, including Craig Bellamy, Nedum Onuoha and amazingly, club record signing Robinho.

Paulo Ferriera – Chelsea
The Blues Mr Dependable when called upon, Portugal right-back Ferriera could find his place in the Champions’ squad at risk if Carlo Ancelotti decides to flex his financial muscles before the end of August. Despite Joe Cole, Deco, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti already leaving, if Chelsea bring in the two or three more established players they realistically need to improve their squad, Paulo could find himself surplus to requirements at the Bridge.

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