Manchester United 4 - 1 Derby County

Man Utd v Derby: Preview

Updated: December 7, 2007, 4:46 PM UK

Sir Alex Ferguson has called for the introduction of quotas to stave off the demise of English players from the Premier League.

A leaked PFA report into the dwindling numbers of English-born stars appearing for top flight clubs, poignantly titled `Meltdown', backed Manchester United's `balanced' policy of mixing home-produced players with those from overseas.

Ferguson has always attempted to follow the path laid down by Sir Matt Busby in ensuring United nurture their own stars, even though he is unhappy at the current FA academy rules which he believes forces United and other leading clubs to fill their ranks with overseas youngsters.

However, while he accepts European employment law makes the prospect fraught with difficulty, the United boss has come out in favour of a scheme backed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his UEFA counterpart Michel Platini which would commit clubs to having a set number of domestic players within their matchday squads.

"It is a concern,'' he said.

"Platini and Blatter have been talking about having a quota of home-grown players and I totally agree with that.

"They say it can't be done because of employment law, but if you have a certain number of English players in your squad, you could still have foreign players.

"Whether it could be applied, or agreed to by all the clubs, I am not so sure. But there would be nothing wrong with it.''

Ferguson's major complaint about the present system is the 'parochial' manner in which it prevents clubs from recruiting players who live over 90 minutes' travelling time away.

Under such a system, United would have never been able to sign either Sir Bobby Charlton or David Beckham and Ferguson feels it explains why so many leading academies, including his own, are recruiting from overseas.

Derby defender Jay McEveley believes he could have walked the same star-studded path as Wayne Rooney if he had not sulked and moaned his way through his early career.

McEveley and Rooney grew up in Liverpool just five minutes apart, and played for the same teams from the under-nines through to the under-15s, with the latter older by just nine days.

McEveley went on to break into the Blackburn team four days after his 17th birthday, while Rooney made his Everton debut two months prior to turning 17.

Yet while Rooney continued to make a name for himself, moving to Manchester United for £20million at the age of 18 and becoming a regular England international, McEveley lost his way.

The now 22-year-old wrongly believed he had made it, which led to loan spells at Burnley, Gillingham and Ipswich before joining the Rams for £600,000 at the end of January.

For the first time in five years since Rooney scored the winner for Everton in a 2-1 victory over Blackburn, the duo are back on the same pitch again as Derby face United at Old Trafford.

For McEveley, he readily concedes he is now "trying to make up for lost time''.

"When I first broke into the Blackburn team I sometimes thought 'I've done it now.' But that was my stupid mindset,'' conceded McEveley.

"When it then turned bad and I wasn't playing, I was sulking. I'd moan and maybe toss training off a bit, blaming everyone else.

"But that was the young person in me, and when I look back now I think what an idiot I was.

"I remember looking at Wayne's career and thinking we had broken through at the same time and there he was doing what he was doing, while for me it was a case of 'what am I doing wrong?'

"I just look back and sometimes think if I had got my head down then maybe I could have done something like he has.

"If I had knuckled down when I was 18 and 19, maybe I could have been playing in the Premiership a lot sooner than I am now at 22.

"The years have gone now, and I can blame injuries and stuff like that, but the bottom line is I have to blame myself for not being as successful as I should have been.''

New Derby boss Paul Jewell has Claude Davis and Gary Teale struggling with colds, while it is unlikely Andy Todd will return from a back injury, with Marc Edworthy doubtful with a calf strain.

s Paul Jewell is hoping a cold virus does not take hold ahead of tomorrow's Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Defender Claude Davis and winger Gary Teale have both been laid low this week, although the duo were able to train yesterday.

Andy Todd continues to struggle with a long-term back problem, while another defender in Marc Edworthy is doubtful with a calf injury.