Fairness + Oppportunity = Success

As our world of football threatens to retreat into a corner of ‘Englishness’ and point an accusing but wonky finger at foreign players, it is a reminder that we should think with our minds and not our hearts.

Personally, I feel a restriction on Manchester United to buy or play the likes of Tevez, Pique, Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson would be a big loss and a giant step backwards in terms of culture, understanding, technique and entertainment. Am I pleased that Manchester United also employs players such as Neville, Simpson, Carrick, Rooney, Eagles, Brown and Ferdinand. Yes, but only because it suggests a link to the academy systems working in the UK. So should everyone be forced to have a quota of British based players in their first team squad? No.

Manchester United having English players does not automatically translate that England will be successful and it never did. Good organisation and management will decide that. The talent is there. The issue is about infrastructure. Clubs – through their academies - must be encouraged to do more to recruit from and work with their community, particularly disadvantaged communities.

I have an interest in United’s Reserves and the Academy set up. I agree that it is good to see when a young player comes through the ranks and makes it at Manchester United. It is even more pleasing when that young player comes all the way through the system - from academy to first team. It shows our academy system is working. It also demonstrates that it is a realistic but tough route towards the first team – as it should be. Obviously it is a success story when a player such as Danny Simpson, who has been at the club since the age of 9, started in front of a packed Old Trafford crowd against Wigan the other week. However, is it even better because he was born in Salford? Well, my answer is no. It is good he is playing for the club he supported as a boy and yes it may give hope to other young lads to follow his example. But such young lads may be born in Salford, Surrey, Salzburg or Sydney. Who are we to say they are less of a fan and that their dreams to play for one of the best clubs in the world should not be followed? Dreams are not reliant on physical location and nor should opportunity be.

The Simpson story may well encourage more young players to believe joining United’s academy can lead to the first team. That’s important. The rest of it is too caught up in emotion. Any conversation on ‘protecting home grown players’ (a term conveniently ignored when it comes to Owen Hargreaves by the way) all too often transcends common sense and moves us dangerously back to the days of tribal nationalism – rather than the more open, sensible, opportunistic and understanding approach laid down by the European Union.

The accusation that foreign players are hindering the England team also ignores some interesting evidence to the contrary. Consider for a moment the young talent already playing in the Premiership that has and will benefit the national team. Micah Richards (City), Ashley Young (Villa), Wayne Rooney (United), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), M Johnson (City), Agbonlahor (Villa), Davies (Villa), Gardener (Villa), and Vaughan (Everton) to name but a few. Let alone emerging players like Smith, Sinclair, Mancienne and Bostock playing outside the Premiership…for the moment.

So if the talent is actually out there, what’s stopping us? Perhaps we should ask the FA?

Is more money needed to invest in academies? Absolutely. Is more to be done to ensure kids from different socio/economic backgrounds have the opportunity to join academies? Yes, but some good and important work is already being done.

In my view all Premiership clubs should be actively encouraged by the FA to scout and source local talent and forge closer relations with their communities, for example through schools and charities. This will help provide opportunities and make an important difference locally. However, the talked of quota system is illegal, a false economy, and an arbitrary line drawn and driven by politics and not by fairness. If politics wants to play a role then it should find the funds and strategy to establish more UK wide football centres of excellence and academies to harness talent for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds living in the UK. Please note, not necessarily young people born in the UK.

Long may local talent be encouraged but let us focus on ensuring opportunity is provided for fairly and appropriately, regardless of location. I for one am as keen for Magnus Eikrem & Evandro Brandao to make Manchester United’s first-team as I am Danny Welbeck or Danny Drinkwater. As long as the opportunity is fairly there for all young people, I think we should let talent do the rest.