EPL Homegrown Rule

[Garry88 0]

Just thought we should clarify the confusion fuelled by the papers over how the homegrown rule would affect Wilson's supposed transfer to Liverpool.

"The definition of a home-grown player according to the Premier League is a player that has been trained for three years under the age of 21 by somebody within the English and Welsh professional system.

Effectively, this new quota is not a foreign player limitation. There is nothing to stop a side fielding a team consisting of no English players, providing some of the foreign players were purchased from the age of 18."

Read more at Suite101: Premier League Introduces Player Quotas: New Squad Rules to Start Next Season http://english-premier-league.suite101.com/article.cfm/premier_league_introduces_player_quotas#ixzz0pLJIjdsD

This means that if Wilson or any other player is signed by an english (or welsh) club before their 19th birthday, then three years down the line they will count as homegrown for the purposes of the rule. This seemed to be the advantage talked about in the papers for Liverpool to sign Wilson now, rather than next year, and now they're claiming that that he won't count.

They're right that straight away he will not be homegrown, but as he doesn't have to be included in the 25 man squad until he is over 21 (by which point he will be homegrown), this hardly seems relevent.

Anyway, I have no idea whether Liverpool are still pursuing Wilson, but I do know that the reason stated in the papers as to why they may have been put off is bullsh:t, and that Rangers are quite right to ask for a large fee given the advantage an english team would have by signing him now rather than any time after the end of this window.

[mac444 6]

It's pretty much same rule UEFA use for the euro competitions, although without the extra bit of 4 having to be trained at their club for 3 years between 18 & 21.