Date: 6th April 2017 at 11:55pm
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On Thursday evening it was being reported that the Football League had sought agreement from member clubs that at least one ‘club developed’ player would appear in match day squads from the season of 2018/19 onwards.

With a continuing focus on youth and ‘why are England awful’ and lots of ideas trying to fix and improve our international chances, the latest attempt from the Football League will now see at least one ‘club developed’ player in match day squads in the future.

The simple requirement of ‘club developed’ will be defined as a player who has been registered to the club for at least a year before the end of their Under 19 season.

The new rules and the changes were agreed by all Football League member clubs in their meeting last February and that agreement has now been ratified into the future rulebooks.

The move applies to all League games but I don’t believe it applies to Trophy competitions.

Speaking to the efl.com, chief executive Shaun Harvey explained.

‘I hope this latest commitment made by our clubs is further evidence of the EFL taking the initiative in looking for practical and effective measures that can be introduced to help managers and coaches in the ongoing development of young players. It is imperative that we provide young players not only with a platform, but also with the belief that opportunities will be made available to progress from youth to senior football. I am confident that this decision will have a positive and lasting impact on the future of football in this country.’

This move is an additional requirement on clubs to include a further player given the existing ‘home grown’ issues around team sheets. Prior to this vote clubs had to include six home grown players, defined as those registered with a club in England or Wales for three seasons, or 36 months, prior to their 21st birthday.

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