Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger fears English football is set to be dragged back into the dark ages if the 'foreign quota' merchants are allowed to get their way.

"The clubs are the modern world and the national teams are the former world," said Wenger. "We are in between both. We want to keep the values of the past and we know we have to move into the next world. The clubs and the countries are symbols of that.

"When it doesn't go well in a country we want to close the border and say, 'let's get back to how we've always been'. But we know there's no future if you don't go forward."

Wenger accepts there are those who want to blame him for England's plight because his first team and academy are full of foreign players but he insists they are wrong.

"If some people in this country want to blame me, then why not?' he said. 'Certainly some will. But I am not responsible for the situation. I respect the rules. I face Arsenal supporters and they want Arsenal to do well first and then England."