Homegrown talent

MARTIN SAMUeL is correct in his assessment of Jamie Vardy and the english talent that remains unused while the Premier League wastes millions on foreign ‘stars’. It’s not just Vardy: Kevin Phillips and Rickie Lambert are two other examples of players who should have been playing at the top of football rather than working their way up by chance.

When the club I’ve supported for 60 years, Bristol Rovers, were relegated to non- league, I thought it was the end of the world (luckily, we managed to return to the Football League in one season). I was amazed to see, week in, week out, young players in non-league with real talent.

Players from the lower leagues should be scouted by the Premier League and Championship clubs. They will find skilled players more than willing to prove that millions of pounds doesn’t have to go out of english football. And it would mean a bigger pool of players for the national side.

STUART EELS, Chippenham, Wilts.