The decision by the English football authorities to compel premier league clubs to name at least eight “home grown” players in a squad of 25 beginning from next season has generated a lot of interest in Ghanaian football circles.

According to the English FA to qualify as home grown, a player will have had to be registered for the last three seasons by the club between the ages of 16-21. It is said the aim is to encourage youth development and the promotion of young players. It is also to give English clubs an extra incentive to develop players and to make a better return from the investment.

But analysts say the ultimate aim is to cut down the unbridled number of foreign professional players plying their trade in the English premiership. To my mind, it is a great foresight on the part of the English FA who would like to have a corresponding world class national team akin to the star studded premiership. It is an open secret that until the arrival of Fabio Capello, the England national squad was fast losing credibility and the premiership was gradually but unnoticeably eclipsing the famous “Three Lions”.

Indeed, Capello is on record as saying he would like the England players to display the same vim they show in the league at the national level. It is noteworthy that he has within a short time been able to assemble a polished side that can easily be among the favourites in South Africa 2010.

I have a feeling many English football fans are looking forward to the day when there will be many modern day Lampards, Rooneys, Gerrards, Ashley Coles, Lescotts and Beckams dominating the premiership leading to a strong national team.

No matter how you look at it, a football nation is judged by the performance of the national team and not the clubs. Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona etc can win all the accolades but Brazil is the best football nation in the world.

In my part of the world, the luxury of signing top foreign players does not exist, so home grown players’ means clubs should nurture their own talents which the pioneers did in the past with excellent results.

The then home grown players in the 60s and 70s were really committed. There was that sense of belonging. It was almost a family affair. Almost everybody knew each other’s background and family tree and players developed genuine love for the home town clubs they played.

There is a standing joke in Ghana about a certain town whose affinity is so strong that a player could be refused a pass if he did not have a relation in the team. That may be stretching the comradeship too far but it shows how genuine commitment can lead to. “Catching them young” was a popular refrain in Ghana football some time ago. Colts clubs sprang up all over the place and that’s where the Osei Kofis, Abeka Ankrahs Mohammed Polos, Kofi Abbreys. Opoku Afriyies, Shamo Quayes, Opoku Ntis, Mohammed Choos and others were discovered.

There was a period when all first clubs had second teams that played curtain raisers. Asante Kotoko had Anokye as the junior team; Hearts had Auroras, .Hasaacas had Malavans, Republikans had State Envoys etc.

A lot of youngsters were unearthed from this exercise and the league was exciting with each club producing outstanding players that fed the national team.

Commercialization of football has changed the face of the game and now you can even change your nationality to enable you play for a country of your choice. An entire local team can consist of foreign players including their coach and even a stadium can be built by a foreigner and named after him and the show goes on.

If football at top level is becoming too much of a mercenary enterprise and home grown talents will make it look more like a genuine sport all the better.

I will suggest to the Ghana Football Association to take a cue from the English FA and like they changed the Ghana league to the premiership, clubs should be encouraged to nurture home grown talents. Since everybody is at the moment pre occupied with South Africa 2010, this proposal for home grown talents could be deferred to the next GFA congress after the World Cup.

Surely there must be a lot of wisdom in the promotion of youth development. After all, competitive sport is for the youth. Let’s move forward and follow the pacesetters.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports