ANY QUOTES USED MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO MURNAGHAN, SKY NEWS

DERMOT MURNAGHAN: Now this weekend the third round of the FA Cup has been and is taking place, football’s main knockout competition of course. Some within the game are suggesting it should be used to develop more home grown talent, a quota system where each team is required to field at least five home grown players in their starting eleven has been proposed, so would it work?  I am joined now by Sol Campbell, the former England defender and journalist and author, Paddy Barclay, a very good morning to you gentlemen.  A very exciting third round of the FA Cup it’s been so far, more excitement we hope to come, but what about this idea of using this competition to bring on home grown talent, Sol?  

SOL CAMPBELL: I think it’s a good idea, for a headline I think it’s a fantastic idea. There is a problem when it comes to English players and blooding them into the system. In lower leagues you can get away with it but I think the Championship and Premiership, they have a problem.  How I look at it is it’s a great idea, I love it but every year when it comes around in January, depending where you are in your team, you get drafted into your team, you get knocked out and that’s it for the end of the year.  That’s how I look at it and it’s all about developing talent and going forward, that’s the key.  

DM: Some teams more or less do it with the Capital One Cup, don’t they, the other knock out competition.  Sol, there’s an economic argument for it as well isn’t there?  In the Premier League player costs are going up and up and up, especially as they get more money from the new contract when that kicks in.  If you are growing your own it is going to be a lot cheaper, if you have got your own academies that are feeding in to your first team?

SOL CAMPBELL: I think it is already happening.  There are a lot of teams in the Premiership and below, they have got their net out catching and sometimes it is almost like trawling.  Sometimes you get these players in and it’s all about numbers, some are going to make it, some might not make it, so you’ve got that kind of scenario to deal with, the players who are let go but then you look at English players, a lot of English players cost a lot more money than some of the foreign players so you have got that dilemma as well.  Do we want to go back to say Italy in the 80s and early 90s where you are only allowed three players playing?  That’s a possibility, hopefully that will not come onto the table but do you have to go that far to make English players break through?

DM: But we all know, don’t we Sol, I’m not referring to you of course but there have been some pretty big money signings in recent times in the Premier League who have bombed.  

SOL CAMPBELL: Who is that?

DM: But money isn’t the solution to everything, you can get real gems if you just look at your own training ground.

SOL CAMPBELL: I think it comes down to desire.  I mean you can look at the fantastic story of Jeremy Vardy, look at that, that’s an amazing story.  We have got to have that scenario, make sure the net is there so those players don’t get lost or go through the net.  

DM: Let me just bring Chelsea into the mix. It was said about Jose Mourinho before he got turfed out that he was ignoring … I mean the Chelsea squad is massive and they have some great young talent coming through and even the fans were saying play some of them, bring them on.

SOL CAMPBELL: I think it’s got to be the attitude of the hierarchy down below, from the manager, have they got that oomph, have they got the mentality of I want to push these players through?  It must be coming from somewhere else, the push must be coming from somewhere else and it’s got to be genuine and it’s got to be honest but if it’s not there then some of these managers are not going to look under their noses, they are going to look abroad or whatever because that’s who they know, they understand that football, they want that type of player in the club because they know they can do it, they are already made, they haven’t got time to waste but sometimes it’s good to waste time, you might find those gems.  

DM: Are you excited then Sol?  I mean it’s got to be a bit of a gamble if Roy Hodgson takes … if they don’t have international experience.  

SOL CAMPBELL: I think it’s all about balance.  Yes, you’ve got to have those young players who are hungry and have done very well in the qualifying and who have earned the right to be in that team, they should be there but then you have got to understand that there is that balance in those games where you need the experience to understand the games.  Yes, as a young player it is nice to go for it but do you want to fail and drop back.  There is a balance.  

DM: But it would excite the fans wouldn’t it, even if you do go out, to go down with all guns blazing?

SOL CAMPBELL: It’s all about consistency and people staying hungry, understanding they’ve got to keep on learning.  To fight for it skill wise, mentally wise and also understanding the game, the nuts and bolts of the game and technically understanding the game, where to stand on the pitch.  

DM: Mouth-watering.  Gentlemen, thank you both very much indeed, very good to see you as ever.