BOLTON Wanderers have made some astonishing signings during the summer and the exciting transfer activity gives an indication of the dangers facing the England national team.

It is no fault of Wanderers that they are concentrating on bringing in foreigners because they get quality on the cheap. Every Premiership club is doing it because it makes sense but it also reduces the number of English players playing in the Premiership.

Out of the five players Wanderers have brought in only one has cost money - the Englishman signed from another English club.

While they have got top class foreign stars like Youri Djorkaeff, Bernard Mendy, Jay Jay Okocha and Bulent Akin without having to pay a transfer fee, they are going to have to fork out money on Delroy Facey, an unknown striker from Second Division Huddersfield Town.

The rules surrounding the signing of players from English clubs are the same as they are from foreign clubs but there are precious few English players available for free because clubs have become so savvy at extending their contracts a year or two in advance.

So there is a far greater incentive to bring in players from abroad which poses a grave danger to the future of the English national team.

For every foreigner who comes in a home grown player's chances of playing first team football diminishes and the fewer English players there are the worse the England national team will become.