Foreigners in English football, the heated debate goes on. Good for the game or not? The million dollar question continues to linger.

Ginola, Bergkamp, Zola; legends. Masters of the game, such class ignited the Premiership. Everyone loved seeing the best players in the world on our doorstep, fans flocked, football was taking off.

Yet 15 years into its reign as England's elite league, the changing face of 'our' beautiful game continues. The floodgates have truly opened. With more and more clubs and supporters losing their identity, the question is raised: Where have all the English players gone?

Middlesbrough have recently broke the trend. People are amazed that they are giving the young lads a game, but why?

When millions of pounds are ploughed into Academies, the next step, if good enough of course is surely to throw them in, to test the system. If the boys at Hurworth had been on the books of Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea would they be Premiership regulars now? Probably not.

When clubs recruit genuine world class players, there is no complaints. Cristiano Ronaldo is possibly the best in the Premiership to date, absolute class. But even the great youth system at Old Trafford has stemmed the flow of products. £30 million on two lads under 20 - Sonny Anderson and Nani - surely defeats the object. There seems to much to lose if the rookie fails to produce the goods.

Arsenal are sitting pretty at the top, and in Wenger they have a special manager. His talent spotting eye has nurtured nobodies into world beaters, which can only be good for the game as whole.

But the Arsenal youth team is packed with young foreign 15 and 16 year olds, that is surely wrong? Come on, at least give the English lads a game in the youth team!

Packing squads with players from overseas, not only blocks the system now, but also jeopardises the future of the English game. Outside the top 20 or so players, Steve McClaren is scratching his head for selection. Two strikers injured and there is a crisis.

If players come here to improve our game, and are better than what we have got then there is no problem. The likes of Zola brought much more than flair to the game. Lifestyle, preparation and diet, attributes the foreign influx have brought with them; the days of ten pints after training are long gone.

Most will agree that there seems to be too many average players finding their way into our teams. Fans would certainly rather see a local lad working his socks off, whether the finished article or not, than a recruit motivated by money.

Sir Trevor Brooking is battling to solve the problem, but it seems with little effect. Whether it is a player cap, wage cap or whatever something has to happen. Or does it? Football is more than a game now: it is big business, very big business and more than the livelihood of the British game is at stake.

James Beaumont started his career with Newcastle before moving to Nottingham Forest. He made his debut for Billingham Synthonia on Saturday and is studying for a degree in sports journalism.