Stoke City chairman Peter Coates is reluctant to make any predictions on what effect Brexit will have on the Premier League.

Stoke have dipped regularly into Europe for fresh talent in recent years and currently employ nine players from EU countries.

Coates, a prominent Remain campaigner, declared: “We are in unknown waters. We haven't given notice of leaving yet and then there is a two-year negotiating period, so nothing will happen quickly.

“But nobody knows what will happen, there is a lot of water to go under the bridge over the next couple of years.

“We are into a period of uncertainty and that was one of my concerns if we got this decision.

“It is not the outcome I wanted, but we will now have to get on with it and see what happens.

“The outcome is not a complete surprise to me. The argument was always about immigration and the economy... and the great British public is more concerned about immigration than the economy.

“It will not make it (the signing of foreign players) any easier, but I've no idea where it will end up.

“It's bad news for football and bad news for the economy."