Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp feels that players in Scotland are not as strong as those playing south of the border. Ahead of Spurs' home leg against Heart of Midlothian in Europa League qualifying tonight, Redknapp raised the question as to why footballers in England look better and play more athletically than those in Scotland.
"I don't know why Scottish players don't look as strong as the guys down here - maybe you're not eating the porridge up there anymore," he quipped.
"We can play one week and look big and strong but then we'll turn out against Manchester City on Sunday and probably look small in comparison.
"It's not as if England is suddenly producing kids who are powerful. They're coming from all over the world and a lot of them maybe are bigger, stronger and more athletic.
"Perhaps it's the pace of the players in the Premier League that's quicker. If you go down the divisions in England to watch a game a lot of the players look unathletic now. We've become used to seeing top-class, well-paid players at the top of their game."
Redknapp commented on the gap between English and Scottish football when Spurs hammered Hearts 5-0 at Tynecastle last week and has again posed the question but was unable to come up with an answer.
"We've all asked ourselves: 'What has happened to the Scottish players? Every successful club in England used to have them - Liverpool had Ian St John and Ron Yeats, for example," he added.
"Manchester United, Leeds and every team that was ever successful always had a fair amount of great players from Scotland. Now there's a shortage. Where are they?
"It's unbelievable how it has happened but I don't know the reason. I'm sure Andy Roxburgh and other clever people have looked at it and can't find an answer.
"However, it's hard for English kids to break through too. We've spent fortunes setting up academies but the last one to really make it here was probably Ledley King and that was 15 years ago."
