And the sheer wealth of the Premier League militates against our investing in native young talent. Just look at how many of those Belgians, for example, have been hoovered up by our top teams... Another factor in our lack of success is the propensity of the managers of Premier League clubs for withdrawing their key players from international duty at the slightest drop of a hat. Any little bruise or mythical muscle strain would suffice. Ferguson was a prime culprit. Hopefully, a part of Southgate's legacy will be to restore such pride in playing for England that such dishonest ploys become anathema.