The Premier League has rules regarding the number of “homegrown” players each squad must contain. Homegrown players are those who were trained in England or Wales for at least three years before turning 21. This rule was introduced in 2010 to encourage clubs to develop more local talent. But why is this homegrown quota important, and how many homegrown players are clubs actually required to have?
What is the homegrown player rule?
The Premier League’s homegrown player rule states that clubs must have a minimum of 8 homegrown players out of a squad of up to 25 players for that season. Specifically, the rule says:
A homegrown player will be defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Welsh Football Association for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).
So in simple terms, a homegrown player is someone who has trained for at least three years with an English or Welsh club before turning 21. Their nationality does not matter – they can be English, Welsh, or any other nationality.
This rule was brought in at the start of the 2010-11 season to encourage clubs to focus on developing young English and Welsh talent. Prior to this rule change, clubs were increasingly recruiting foreign players even at youth level. The homegrown quota was intended to counteract this trend.
Why have a homegrown player rule?
There were a few key reasons behind the introduction of the homegrown player rule:
- To increase opportunities for English and Welsh players.
- To promote more focus on youth development at English and Welsh clubs.
- To maintain high quality youth coaching and facilities in England and Wales.
- To produce more homegrown players capable of playing for the England and Wales national teams.
The English and Welsh football associations felt that increased recruitment of foreign players was limiting opportunities for homegrown talent. Young English and Welsh players were facing limited routes into first team football.
By necessitating homegrown quotas, clubs are encouraged to run academies focused on developing local talent. Even the larger clubs who recruit globally cannot ignore homegrown development. And smaller clubs who cannot afford large scouting networks get rewarded for the work they do at youth level.
The intention is that by pushing clubs to nurture local talent, they will invest more in facilities and coaching. Producing better youth players will ultimately benefit the English and Welsh national teams too.
What are the detailed requirements for homegrown players?
To comply with the Premier League rules, clubs must meet the following homegrown player requirements:
- Their 25-man squad can contain no more than 17 overseas (non-homegrown) players.
- This means their squad must contain at least 8 homegrown players.
- Of the 8 homegrown players, at least 4 of them must have been trained in England or Wales by the club itself or another English or Welsh team.
So in summary:
- Maximum 17 overseas players
- Minimum 8 homegrown players
- Minimum 4 club-trained homegrown players
This mix aims to encourage clubs to develop homegrown talent, rather than just buying English and Welsh players trained elsewhere.
What are the penalties for not meeting the homegrown requirements?
Clubs must submit their 25-man squad lists at the end of each summer transfer window. If they do not meet the homegrown player requirements, they face some harsh penalties:
- They will only be allowed to select a reduced squad of up to 25 players.
- In this reduced squad, they can only include a maximum of 17 overseas players.
So failing to meet the homegrown quotas does not prevent a club from competing. But it severely limits their playing squad options for that whole season.
This threat encourages clubs to take their homegrown quotas seriously. They stand to be at a major disadvantage if they do not develop or recruit enough homegrown talent.
How many homegrown players do the top clubs actually have?
While most Premier League clubs aim to have 8 homegrown players as a minimum, many clubs choose to have more. Let’s look at some examples from the top teams in recent seasons:
Manchester City
In Manchester City’s 2021-22 Premier League winning squad, they had 10 homegrown players:
- Phil Foden
- Raheem Sterling
- John Stones
- Kyle Walker
- Nathan Ake
- Oleksandr Zinchenko
- Josh Wilson-Esbrand
- James McAtee
- Conrad Egan-Riley
- CJ Egan-Riley
This shows that even clubs with huge spending power like Man City still highly value developing homegrown players. Foden in particular has been a revelation for them in recent seasons.
Liverpool
Liverpool had 11 homegrown players in their 2021-22 squad:
- Trent Alexander-Arnold
- Caoimhin Kelleher
- Joe Gomez
- Harvey Elliott
- Curtis Jones
- Neco Williams
- Tyler Morton
- Conor Bradley
- James Norris
- Elijah Dixon-Bonner
- Max Woltman
Liverpool’s squad highlights how academies can produce Champions League and Premier League winning talent, like Alexander-Arnold.
Chelsea
After winning the Champions League in 2020-21, Chelsea’s homegrown quota stood at:
- Mason Mount
- Reece James
- Trevoh Chalobah
- Ruben Loftus-Cheek
- Callum Hudson-Odoi
- Jamie Cumming
- Conor Gallagher
- Marc Guehi
- Ian Maatsen
- Dynel Simeu
Mount and James were particularly key figures, proving Chelsea’s investment in their academy continues to pay off.
Arsenal
After missing out on Champions League qualification, Arsenal’s 2021-22 homegrown list consisted of 9 players:
- Bukayo Saka
- Emile Smith Rowe
- Granit Xhaka
- Aaron Ramsdale
- Rob Holding
- Eddie Nketiah
- Matthew Smith
- Arthur Okonkwo
- Miguel Azeez
Arsenal’s squad highlights the blend of academy graduates like Saka and Smith Rowe, plus established English players like Ramsdale.
Do clubs meet their targets?
The above squads highlight that England and Wales’ top clubs all comfortably meet the minimum homegrown requirements. The larger squads tend to have between 8-12 homegrown players.
All Premier League clubs largely meet their quotas and take this rule seriously.
But there have been some exceptions:
- In 2021-22, Newcastle United only had 6 homegrown players in their squad submission after the January transfer window.
- In 2020-21, Leeds United also only named 6 homegrown players in their squad.
- Fulham only had 7 homegrown players in their 2020-21 squad.
These examples led to reduced squad sizes for those teams in those seasons. But in general, the vast majority of Premier League clubs fulfill the homegrown requirements.
Where do homegrown players come from?
While the homegrown rule helps promote academy talent, clubs can also sign English or Welsh players trained at other clubs before age 21:
- Liverpool signing Robbie Keane from Leeds as a youngster
- Man City recruiting Scott Carson from Leeds and Luke Steele from Man Utd
- Chelsea buying Ryan Bertrand from Gillingham
- Arsenal signing Calum Chambers from Southampton
Major clubs strengthening via homegrown transfers from lower league or rival clubs is common. The buying club still fulfills the homegrown quota, while the selling club receives a fee.
Loaning youngsters out to gain experience is an increasing trend too:
- Chelsea loaning Mount to Derby County and James to Wigan
- Arsenal loaning Willock to Newcastle
- Man City loaning Humphreys-Grant to Bolton
However, the rules state minimum 4 club-trained players, so building squads purely via acquisitions is not possible. Club academy products remain vital.
Do homegrown players get enough opportunities?
While top clubs generally meet the homegrown quotas, there are concerns young English and Welsh players still do not get sufficient competitive minutes:
- The 2022 European U21 Championships saw England humiliatingly eliminated after losing to Portugal and Switzerland
- Wales have not qualified for the U21 Euros since 2013
- England and Wales lag behind France, Spain, Germany at major tournaments
Does this suggest a lack of opportunity for homegrown talent?
Some key statistics on minutes for homegrown teenagers in the Premier League include:
- 2021-22 saw homegrown teenagers feature in just 30 Premier League games all season
- This equated to 0.8% of all available minutes going to homegrown teenagers
- 2020-21 saw only 45 appearances for homegrown teens (1.2% of minutes)
- Back in 2009-10 this figure was 2.8% of all minutes, demonstrating a downward trend
While clubs are fulfilling homegrown quotas, these figures suggest serious underexposure for homegrown talents once they sign professional terms.
With foreign talents scouted actively at younger and younger ages, Premier League clubs seem less inclined to give academy graduates a proper run in their first team. Tougher rules mandating a certain number of homegrown minutes might be needed to change this trend.
Do more homegrown players improve the national team?
Looking at England and Wales’ recent national team performances offers useful evidence:
| Year | England Performance | % Homegrown players in PL |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Last 16 (World Cup) | 32% |
| 2014 | Group stage (World Cup) | 34% |
| 2016 | Last 16 (Euros) | 35% |
| 2018 | Semi-finals (World Cup) | 38% |
| 2022 | Quarter-finals (World Cup) | 39% |
There is a steady correlation between more exposure for homegrown players at club level, and better performances at international tournaments.
While not completely linear, the trend suggests more domestic minutes for local talents does transfer through to the national team.
Wales reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals and 2022 World Cup with over 30% homegrown players in the Premier League too. Their improvement has mirrored England’s in the same period.
Conclusion
The Premier League homegrown rule remains important for:
- Ensuring clubs focus on homegrown development
- Providing pathways for young English and Welsh talent
- Maintaining high standards in domestic academies and coaching
- Improving the strength of the England and Wales men’s senior teams
All Premier League clubs are mandated to have at least 8 homegrown players in squads of 25, including 4 club-trained players. Most clubs meet these minimum quotas.
But statistics on playing time for homegrown teenagers suggest clubs could still provide more meaningful opportunities. Better international results seem correlated with higher percentages of homegrown players in the Premier League.
Stronger rules around mandatory playing time for homegrown youngsters could be the next step in maximizing these benefits.
