Roy Hodgson eyes lower league stars
Thursday 28th April 2011, 10:00AM BST.
Albion boss Roy Hodgson hopes more lower league players can follow Baggies star Simon Cox into the Premier League.
Hodgson wants clubs in Leagues One and Two to lower their transfer fee demands to enable more British players to climb the ladder to the top division.
Cox joined the Baggies two years ago after a prolific career at Swindon and, following a useful first season in the Championship, the former Reading trainee scored his first Premier League goal at Tottenham on Saturday.
Hodgson said: “I don’t think any of us doubt there is talent in the lower leagues. It’s just about whether you have got the opportunity to give people that chance. Simon proved himself outside of the top flight with his goal record.
“Often, of course, you must remember it’s not cheap to sign a player from the lower leagues. Clubs take foreigners because they’re cheaper.
“Maybe there is an element of players being priced out of moves to bigger clubs. However, I do think this may be changing because of the current market.
“When I was at Blackburn 10 years ago, if you wanted a Championship or League One player, the price was enormous and you were being offered players on the continent of a similar standard for next to nothing.
“Hopefully, that is changing because clubs need money, so maybe it will become easier for players who have the opportunity to move to get a move without being priced out of it.”
Cox struck a spectacular equaliser at White Hart Lane and, despite leaving him out of the starting line-up, Hodgson was confident the forward would make an impact.
He said: “Simon didn’t surprise me because he played well in the two games he started, against Liverpool and Sunderland.
“His chance to come back on to the field on Saturday was more than merited and, although one’s always shocked about a goal of that quality, I’m not surprised he did it because I know he can.”
UK Sport
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Tubbs. Crawley Town.
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There is undoudably talent in the lower leagues, but a good reputation at that level means nothing – look at Ellington, Chopra, Nugent, even Earnie and SEB failed to live up to their lower league exploits.
So its great to grab a bargain – but for every Simon Cox there are 5 Reuben Reid’s !!
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Good point Roy, but not all Championship players will be worthy of our attention next season, especially if there only a few miles away !!
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Don’t care where they are bought from as long as it’s not a load of dead wood, from you know where. Mind you, they know where there’s some cheap bricks going.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
P.S. Ten the most and five there’ll be.
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