Platini attacks youth policy of United and Arsenal

UEFA president Michel Platini has attacked the foreign scouting policy of English clubs by insisting that young players must be protected against the lure of big-money moves abroad.

Platini's comments come after suggestions by FIFA president Sepp Blatter that domestic teams should be issued with a quota of homegrown players.

Arsene Wenger's table-topping Arsenal side scored their 1,000th Premier League on Monday evening as they beat Reading 3-1 with an all-foreign starting XI - a policy which has evoked much criticism.

However, Platini cited Arsenal and Manchester United for their youth team policies that do not prohibit poaching the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and Giuseppe Rossi from their hometown clubs before they sign professional terms.

The Frenchman said: "I am totally against this philosophy and I am a firm believer that we need to take care of the identity of the club.

"This is why for Manchester United there are no English players and I'm totally not in favour of that.

"Don't get me wrong I like Ferguson and Arsene Wenger is a great friend of mine, but I don't like the system that scours other countries for the best young talent to bring back to their team."

England midfielder Steven Gerrard today admitted he fears for the long-term future of the England side unless more homegrown talent is allowed to develop and flourish in the Barclays Premier League.

And Platini added on BBC News 24 programme Hard Talk: "It is difficult for all the countries because they cannot all have the best players.

"But because of the money the best players will leave at 14 which means success will always follow money and we need to correct that.

"You have regulations in England that you can buy players from other countries and other clubs so you protect your clubs but you go and attack foreign teams' youth set-ups.

"I want to protect the young players of 14 or 15 years of age who need to stay with their hometown clubs, with their families and then if they go to England at the age of 20, 21, 22 it's no problem.

"Many will come back at the age of 16 destroyed because it was not a success."