If charmers like Jose keep getting their way on foreign stars, England could soon run out of players

                            

Roy Hodgson set the country a challenge when he asked for the names of ’30-40’ players who qualified to play for England.

In a week when 27 were named in his squad for the World Cup qualifiers and Gareth Southgate called 25 into his first Under 21 squad it wasn’t difficult.

But the England manager was getting at a deeper issue within the game and the genuine fear that the national team will soon run out of players.

Hodgson’s beef is high up on the agenda of new FA chairman Greg Dyke, something that will be addressed later today with a strong and forceful message to the managers, chief executives, chairman and scouts in the Barclays Premier League.

The FA have done the numbers, focusing on the UK Border Agency’s work permit regulations during a thorough study into the number of foreign players in the Premier League.

They simply believe that players are waved through by the six men who adjudicate on the UKBA's work permit panel.

It’s usually comprised of a member of the FA, the Premier League, PFA, plus three independent people, usually former players or managers.

Former Sunderland manager Denis Smith, ex-Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder Nigel Spackman and former Chelsea boss John Hollins are among the regulars on the panel.

A snapshot of the exhaustive guidelines provided to the committee is a demand that players are of the highest calibre and will make a significant contribution to football in this country.

Managers must persuade the panel that the player in question will improve the standard of the league and benefit the homegrown talent.

The great orators, such as Harry Redknapp and Jose Mourinho, are masters of their art in front of the committees that sit in judgement.

Redknapp once persuaded the work permit panel to rubber-stamp an entry visa for Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa when he was Tottenham manager. He didn’t make a single Premier League appearance for Spurs during his spell on loan.

Last week Mourinho persuaded the UK Border Agency to issue a work permit for Anzhi winger Willian.

As ever, Chelsea’s manager had all the answers. Willian didn’t meet the requirement of playing in 75 per cent of the Category A list games demanded to be issued with a visa.

He isn’t a regular in the Brazil team but everyone in these situations argue that the standard of the South American teams are so high that they cannot get a game.

Brazil are ninth in the current FIFA rankings; England are 14th. Mourinho had a point.