Get our daily coronavirus email newsletter with all the news you need to know direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

English football has taken a significant step towards delivering life after Brexit.

Discussions have taken place this week between the game’s governing bodies and a vital framework has been thrashed out.

The finer details of a points-based system for foreign players are now being pored over as the Premier League and Football Association attempt to broker a deal.

There is still one major hurdle to overcome between the two parties – the number of homegrown players allowed in first-team squads - and that is proving difficult to resolve.

But a consensus appears to have been reached over the criteria needed for foreign players to be granted a green card.

(Image: Offside via Getty Images)

It will depend upon the following: The number of full international caps the player has along with the quality of league he is transferring from and the level of competition he has played in.

For example, this means that the likes of an established international, currently playing in Serie A or the Bundesliga and boasting Champions League experience, will be recommended for employment.

Alternatively, those on the fringes in the second tier of their domestic competition without any European game-time are unlikely to receive sufficient points to qualify.

The nationality of the player himself, therefore, is not considered to be of paramount importance with the controls over the quality of import given priority.

That move that be especially welcomed by the Football Association who have been concerned for some time about the pathway for young home-grown players.

The game’s power-brokers are therefore inching towards a solution that will be presented to the Home Office as their recommendation for the future employment of footballers in this country – and those proposals then need to be ratified by the government.

The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has left the game in the difficult position of re-working its visa requirements.

Under the previous rules, anyone with a passport from an EU country automatically had the right to work here.

(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

However, new Home Office regulations, which have come about after the historic decision in June 2016, mean that no longer applies.

The two major forces in this country, the Premier League and the Football Association, have been at loggerheads over the criteria they want to apply.

The Premier League wants to retain the ability for its member clubs to claw in the best talent from around the globe.

However, the Football Association is charged not only with being the guardians of the sport’s governance but is also trying to protect the future of the England team and ensure as many young players as possible are fielded in the elite leagues to ensure a conveyor belt of talent for boss Gareth Southgate and his successors to choose from.

(Image: Getty Images)

However, the quota of homegrown players remains a major sticking point between the two and there is still some distance between them.

The latest information suggests that the Premier League want at least 14 home nationals in a squad of 25, while the FA want dispensation for three more.

Premier League clubs are aware that there is a move towards protecting English talent and, before coronavirus, that might have led to a further shift upwards in transfer values.

However, with the pandemic still causing significant financial heartache, the picture remains confused.