Last night I watched Villa v Sunderland and was very impressed with Villa's right back Matthew Lowton. I'd seen bits of him on Match of the Day with his two very good "chest control and volley" goals this season, but this was first time I saw him for 90 minutes. He looks a superb right back, just as Steven Caulker all impressed us three seasons ago and on the evidence of this game alone, a much better right back than Kyle Walker (also ex Sheffield United). I would expect his England debut soon. Checking him on Wikipedia, I found it very interesting that his first club, Sheffield United, sent him on loan to Hungarian sister club, Ferencvaros where he played 18 games in their first team (Hungarian First Division). Surely that is better for a young player than going to an English Fourth Division or Conference team. And another fact I found is that he is the third full back that Sheffield United (#), who many in Bristol because of their attendances would regard as a "bigger club" than Bristol City, have sold in the last three years. Lowton, Walker and Kyle Naughton for a total of £12 million. Apart from Lita and Cottrell more than ten years ago, how much have we recouped on the sale of ex Academy boys in this period? £ NIL (#) before anyone posts to say they are League One, they may be going up via the play offs.
My biggest gripe with English football is that so few English players get a taste of football outside of England. I'd love to see Dave, or one of the terrestrial channels pick up some of the foreign leagues on the cheap, so English kids would see the likes of Serie A and La Liga as cool, just so we could see some kids come through the academies willing to have a crack somewhere other than England. If I were a manager of any club in the Football League then the first thing I would do is loan my players out to a team in Europe or South America. Sure, everyone there speaks a funny language and there's no Wetherspoons, but the football lessons they'll learn would be invaluable. I'd love to see some of the City academy try their hand in the Spanish lower leagues, or to try and get first-team football on loan in one of the Scandinavian leagues. It'd be much better than loans to Clevedon Town and the like.
Well said EnderMB as it would also provide an experience of a different culture from the "lets all get pissed up every weekend" of the British young people aged 16 to 30 ish. Eating out in pavement cafes without any threat of being glassed or involved in someone else's fight would be an eye opener for a young British footballer in Europe.
If you ever read the BBC Sport gossip page and see an englishman mentioned it is indeed a banner day and like you I get ticked off to see that trend in the game that has gone on for way too long. All we do when we turn to foreign players is boost the chances of other countries beating England and we need to increase the national squad by playing more home grown players at the top levels. If the tide of import players was to be restricted then British players throughout the divisions would be enhanced and perhaps the ever increasing salaries might have a slim chance of being reduced so as to decrease the knock on effect in the lower leagues.
The best English players play in the English league, The best Spanish players play in the Spanish leagues etc. That's what I find anyway. Same applies for the Germans and Italians. Then players from country's there the leagues are poor, Messi, Ronaldo and African players they take there pick from the above leagues. As for sending our youth players out on loan overseas, I personally think that would be a brilliant idea, They would grow up a lot, Play a different game and would benefit hugely. I think they would rather play in the 2nd league of Spain than play for bath or forest green. Much more appealing.
