Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, aged 34, has expressed his discontent with the high prominence of foreign players in the English Premier League, a sentiment that he believes could negatively impact the English national team. In an analysis, Ferdinand stated to the Mail on Sunday, “Of course, the fact that there are few English players in the Premier League reduces the level of our selection.”
Ferdinand, a former English international who announced his withdrawal from the national team on May 15, 2013, pointed to a specific example from the first day of the Premier League involving a match between Manchester City and Newcastle. He remarked, “Look at the match between Manchester City and Newcastle. There were only three English players on the field. It’s a shame. In a lot of teams, there are English players who don’t play for their club and they hope to go to the World Cup and do well!”
In an effort to address this issue, Ferdinand advocated for the implementation of a quota system inspired by the Turkish model for the preservation of English football. He explained, “I will do what Turkey does. In this country, clubs can have a maximum of ten foreign players in their squad and no more than six of the eighteen likely to play matches.” While acknowledging the potential resistance from European authorities to such a quota system, Ferdinand stressed the importance of finding a solution to protect English football and its heritage.
