Less than 30 percent of English players start the Premier League matches

There is no doubt about one thing – The Premier League is the strongest in the world. Or at least the most attractive one. Millions of pounds are poured into the league (and the clubs) from TV rights and the figures are higher by the year, players from other leagues are now trying to get to the Premier League teams even through ‘smaller’ clubs like Bournemouth or Brighton, and not only the big ones. But this rise has a price. The first one is the ticket prices, which concerns all fans and the second one are English players. Way back in 1999, Chelsea was the first team to field out non-English starting 11 as the result of the Premier League’s popularity across the world. And now Gareth Southgate has a problem.

England want the Englishman with a Scottish grandmother who plays in England but was called up by Scotland

As per Daily Mail, across the first three weeks of this season, only 28 per cent of all Premier League starters were English. This is down from 31 per cent across last season and down from 36 per cent in 2020-21. Obviously a red flag for the England manager. Only goalkeeper’s position is ‘safe’ as there are more than enough keeper’s available to Southgate to choose from. But if we look at defenders, manager has a problem. There were five defenders in England squad at the World Cup, just a year ago. John Stones is injured, Conor Coady, (who is in the second-tier with Leicester) is injured, while Harry Maguire and Eric Dier are out of favor at their clubs. The only fit player who is a regular is Arsenal’s Ben White, but he hasn’t featured since Qatar and wasn’t called in this round too. Levi Colwill just started at Chelsea (who is not playing well), while Marc Guehi comes from a relegation candidate Crystal Palace.

The problem for Southgate is that a pool of England footballers is not getting bigger but smaller, and even that number is not consisted of top players in the ‘big six’, but rather from weaker sides in the Premier League. For example, Tottenham, once a great base for English players, now fielded only one of them – James Maddison. Dier is out of favor, Kane moved to Bayern. Liverpool fielded only one – Trent Alexander-Arnold (who got injured). Arsenal had four of them in a 3-1 win over Manchester, as Nketiah, Saka, Rice and White were in the first 11. Southgate didn’t even invite White. The losers, Manchester United had Wan-Bissaka (not selected) and Marcus Rashford. Kyle Walker and Phil Foden where there for Manchester City and Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson for Newcastle United. Everton, with six starters against Wolves, boasted the most Englishmen, but apart from Pickford, others are just not England team material, and above all else, are third from bottom in the league.