England have the third youngest squad at the Euros – and Premier League bosses insist that shows the value of the academy system.
All 26 players in the England squad have spent time in English academies and for the first time there are players in the squad who have gone through all the age groups since the Elite Player Performance Plan started. England’s squad has an average age of 26.1, just behind Turkey with 25.8 and Czech Republic’s 25.5.
Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo are two players who have gone exclusively through the EPPP system, which was voted through in 2011. Prem academies are funded through a four per cent levy on all Premier League and EFL transfers while top flight clubs have invested heavily in the system to develop young players.
That in turn boosts the England national team and also highlights investment at a time when the Premier League have been keen to highlight they are putting money back in at all levels even though no financial deal has been reached with the EFL.
Football Association technical director John McDermott said: “Youth development has always been a key part of our game. In 1997, the Charter for Quality created a new Academy system and the EPPP has built on this progress since 2012 to be a catalyst for a much-needed step change in the quality of academies across the professional game.
Premier League odds and betting tips
“It triggered improvement in facilities, staffing and the programmes delivered by clubs - both on and off the pitch. England’s development teams provide complementary opportunities. International events bring together the brightest young potential talent, and provide valuable exposure to tournament football and a variety of high quality global opposition.
England have a youthful squad at Euro 2024 (Eddie Keogh/The FA via Getty Images)“The experiences of success and disappointment help prepare our young people if they are to secure a career in football, represent the England senior team or pursue other careers in their adult life. Our role as developers is to provide opportunities which give aspiring footballers the best possible chance of breaking through to the top end of the game, which is a careful balance of support and challenge.
“The last 10 years have provided evidence of success in which we can take pride, but we must never stand still. Continued collaboration across the professional game is key in the creation of the right environments for talent to flourish.”
England squad at Euro 2024
Goalkeepers:Jordan Pickford ( Everton ), Dean Henderson ( Crystal Palace ), Aaron Ramsdale ( Arsenal )
Defenders: Lewis Dunk ( Brighton ), Joe Gomez ( Liverpool ), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), John Stones ( Manchester City ), Kieran Trippier ( Newcastle ), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders:Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher ( Chelsea ), Kobbie Mainoo ( Manchester United ), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards:Jude Bellingham ( Real Madrid ), Jarrod Bowen ( West Ham ), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane ( Bayern Munich ), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
