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SVEN Goran Eriksson has backed Sir Trevor Brooking in his damning assessment of young English footballers. Brooking, the FA's director of football development, has said that the future of English football is in danger because young players are so technically inferior to their Continental counterparts. His comments, made exclusively in Sportsmail yesterday, were put to the England coach as he held court at the Baden-Baden Hotel that will be used as the team's headquarters during this summer's World Cup. Eriksson said: 'It is true. Trevor and I were together last year when we watched the England v France Under 19 match and technically the French were better than the English players. 'In the years I have been in the country, English players have improved technically. I think it helps that so many good foreign players are now in the Premiership. But there's still plenty of work to be done.' Meanwhile, Eriksson has admitted his fears for his injured stars are growing as the clock ticks towards the end of the season. Experienced internationals including Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and Michael Owen are all sidelined with injuries and Eriksson wants to name his 23-man World Cup squad on May 8. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] |