ASI football research featured in City AM

Research on national vs. foreign football players in the Premeir League carried out by the Adam Smith Institute's Head of Policy, Ben Southwood, was featured in a City AM article. Read the article here.

"But data compiled by think tank the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) and revealed to City A.M. – see chart – shows there is virtually zero relationship between the amount of minutes spent by Englishmen playing in the top tier and England’s international performance.

"If anything, the numbers, based on 21 years of statistics, suggest that England’s Fifa ranking is actually negatively affected by an increase in playing time for English players.

“It may well be that less experience means a worse team, but if so it seems like it’s being cancelled out by another effect: many footballers say that foreign players have raised the overall standard and this may be what’s going on,” said ASI head of policy Ben Southwood. “Dyke’s policy will make English clubs worse without any likely benefits to the national team now or down the line.”