Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has defended the organisation against claims England's leading clubs are partly responsible for recent poor performances by the national team's age-group sides.
.
England's under-21s were eliminated from the European Championship in Israel last month after losing every game, while the under-20 side were unable to record a single victory at the World Cup.
.
However, Scudamore says claims that home-grown youngsters are being crowded out by foreign players in the English top flight are wide of the mark.
.
"You know how I'm going to respond to that – that's nonsense, absolute nonsense," he said.
.
"There were 210 players qualified to play for England playing in the Premier League last year, and, by the way, they're all (actually) playing in the Premier League.
.
"And we ought to be able to find 11 to take the field to do well. Those players are playing week in, week out against the world's best talent.
.
"Our responsibility is to make sure the youth- development systems in this country are as good as they can be. That huge investment, £320 million, in the elite performance plan is starting to see results.
.
"We're starting to see more English-qualified people coming through the academies, we're starting to see more take part in first teams.
.
"Our youth-development systems are beginning to work even better than they've worked in the past.
.
All we can do is be responsible for some of the input.
.
Clearly, our responsibility ends once those players go off and are selected."
.
Scudamore was speaking on Tuesday at the launch of a £16.8 million joint-funding scheme between the Premier League and Sport England, aimed at increasing youth participation in sport.
Of course it's still the best league in the world for me. I love the teams in it so I ensure I do not miss it's matches....