Reading boss Steve Coppell fears for England's national team with so many foreigners playing in the Premiership.

Coppell, who is likely to include six Englishmen in his team's starting line-up for next Sunday's Premiership opener against Manchester United, said: "In the short term it is making the Premier League the most attractive in the world. Because there is so much money we can get the best players.

"But if English players are not playing in the Premier League how can we expect the national team to be the best in the world?"

Incredibly, more than 60 per cent of the players kicking off the new Premier League next weekend will be non-English and in the top four teams - United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal - that rises to 72 per cent.

"If we persist in bringing in so many foreign players," Sir Bobby Robson said last night, "there will be less and less chance for youngsters in the academies to come through.

"At the moment we have a crop of players who are good. But the future is looking a bit gloomy."