PREM COOLS BREXIT FEAR

PREMIER LEAGUE bosses believe the government will ensure English football is Brexit-proofed ahead of the UK’s eventual departure from the European Union.

Freedom of movement has enabled clubs to recruit the cream of the Continent and has been crucial to the development of the most glamorous domestic league in the world over the last 27 years.

It is feared that Brexit could hit the competitiveness of even the top clubs in the global transfer market if star players are forced to apply for work permits. But the Premier League’s interim chief executive Richard Masters (below) has suggested the government will look to avoid such difficulties due to the prestige football brings to the nation.

Masters said: “I don’t think there is a scenario where the Premier League will be badly affected by Brexit. I think we will find an appropriate accommodation and that our clubs will still be able to recruit the players they want from abroad.

“At the same time, we are developing a cohort of players through the academy system and we have to keep the balance right. We have a team of people involved in conversations with the government and talking to all of the different stakeholders involved.”

Speaking at the Premier League Asia Trophy in China, he added: “Obviously no-one knows when Brexit is going to happen.

“But we’re in constant dialogue with the Home Office and the FA and making sure that our clubs can continue to get access to talent from Europe and beyond.

“I think that the government and the politicians appreciate what English football in general, and the Premier League in particular, brings to the country.”