Premier League In Talks Over Homegrown Ruling

Responding to growing pressure from other football organisations, Premier League clubs have met to discuss proposals to introduce a quota of home-grown players in every matchday squad.

While no finite plans have been decided upon, the 20 clubs in the English top-flight discussed among other ideas ways of bringing more academy players through into first-team squads.

Commented Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry: ‘We are aware that there is concern and we have to engage in that debate and be part of the solution.

‘It was discussed at the Premier League last week after being put up by the Premier League board.

‘We have not accepted a figure, just the principle that some minimum limit of home-grown players makes sense.

‘Those of us in the Champions League could introduce it now and it wouldn’t be an issue. Indeed the Premier League did produce an analysis which showed that actually a lot of the clubs would not have too much difficult complying.

‘It will certainly be given more consideration, it’s a way off being decided but it was certainly a constructive discussion.’

Clubs in the Champions League and UEFA Cup are already required to have eight home-grown players of any nationality in their 25-man match-day squad, so long as they have spent three years at the club when under the age of 21.

The Football League has also already agreed that from next season at least four out of the 16 players in match-day squads have to come through the ranks of clubs in England and Wales.

Other proposals being considered by the Premier League include giving financial incentives to clubs to use players produced by academies.

The Premier League clubs will discuss the issue again at their summer meeting in June.