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Michael Platini, the UEFA president, has certainly made his mark with some sensible suggestions since he's taken office.

He was such an outstanding player and ambassador for the game he has commanded instant respect.

His statement last week was about wanting to prevent the traffic of school leavers, in other words 16-year-olds, joining clubs in different parts of the world from where they are born.

This would mainly effect clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool who this week played each other in what is jokingly called the all-English tie of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

In fact, Liverpool fielded only two English players while Arsenal had Theo Walcott as the token substitute, as usual starting with XI foreigners.

I have said before, can anyone tell me - for instance in our own club - how many youngsters coming in from abroad at 16 with all that entails with travel, accommodation provided etc have actually made the first team?

Let's be fair, that is what it should be about.

Looking back, bringing players in from school such as Steve Moran, Steve Williams, Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier, the Wallace brothers and seeing them rise to play top level football gave me more satisfaction than anything.

The other aspect today is very few managers, if any, outside the Premiership will still be there when the 16-year-old foreigners even get on the fringe of the first team.

Therefore I wonder how seriously they take the signings.

It's one thing for Arsene Wenger to have good contacts in his native France, but the worrying thing for me is the trafficing from Africa and beyond, even at senior level.

We only have to remember messrs Delgado and Chala and the millions of pounds wasted on them to show that, sometimes, British is after all best.

10:27am Saturday 5th April 2008

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