Brooking backs Wenger over foreigners

Sir Trevor Brooking said today he does not support restrictions on the number of foreign players in English football.

The FA's director of football development, who was speaking at the launch of the inaugural Grass Roots Football Show, claimed English-born players should only be selected on merit.

His comments follow Arsene Wenger's decision to name an Arsenal squad recently that did not include an English player.

"I don't think there should be x numbers of English players if they are not good enough," said Brooking. "The challenge is for us to make the English players better technically."

The Grass Roots Football Show will be held on 16-17 July at ExCel, London.

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old girl has been arrested after a plastic bottle was thrown at and narrowly missed Wenger prior to the FA Cup tie with Sheffield United.