Before Euro 2024 kicked off, the England national football team was tipped as a major contender. Gareth Southgate’s squad boasted an array of world-class talent, drawing from Europe’s elite clubs, raising expectations for a strong tournament performance and highlighting the perceived value of the England Euros team.
Players like Jude Bellingham, rapidly becoming a linchpin for Real Madrid, Phil Foden, crowned Premier League player of the season, and Harry Kane, a prolific scorer for Bayern Munich, were all part of the setup. This concentration of high-caliber footballers from globally renowned and wealthy clubs naturally suggested a high team value, both in terms of market worth and potential tournament success.
However, the journey to the top for many of these stars began far from the glamour of the Champions League and Premier League stadiums. A significant number honed their skills within the less celebrated tiers of English football, in what’s known as the football pyramid.
In fact, the current England squad owes a considerable debt to this very pyramid. Prior to reaching their prominent positions in Europe’s top teams, 16 out of the 26 players in the England Euros team gained crucial experience and development playing in the lower leagues. This underlines a different kind of “Englands Euros Team Value” – one rooted in the developmental pathways provided by the broader English football structure.
Jude Bellingham, for example, began his professional career at Birmingham City (now in League One). The club notably retired his number 22 jersey as a tribute and to inspire young players in their academy. Harry Kane, before his Tottenham and Bayern Munich fame, undertook loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, and Norwich City, gaining valuable first-team experience.
England’s first-choice goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, also navigated the lower leagues, with loan stints at Sunderland, Carlisle United, and Preston North End, as well as non-league clubs Darlington and Alfreton Town.
Jordan Pickford playing for Everton
Other prominent England internationals with lower league backgrounds include John Stones (Barnsley), Marc Guehi (Swansea City), Kieran Trippier (Barnsley, Burnley), Kyle Walker (Northampton Town, QPR), Anthony Gordon (Preston North End), Ollie Watkins (Exeter City), and Ivan Toney (Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United).
These lower league clubs have played a vital, though often unacknowledged, role in the careers of today’s England stars. They provided these players with opportunities to play regular competitive football, away from the intense pressure and scrutiny of the Premier League spotlight, allowing for crucial development and growth. This developmental aspect is a key component of the true “englands euros team value,” demonstrating the long-term investment in talent across the footballing landscape.
However, despite their crucial role in nurturing talent for the national team, many clubs in these lower divisions are facing significant financial challenges. This financial precarity threatens the very system that contributes so significantly to the “englands euros team value” by developing players for the national stage.
Recent financial analysis reveals a stark contrast in revenue distribution within English football. The Premier League, in the 2022-2023 season, distributed revenues exceeding £6 billion. This dwarfs the collective revenues of the leagues below. The Championship (second tier) across all 24 clubs generated £749 million, League One (third tier) £236 million, and League Two (fourth tier) a mere £131 million. This vast financial gulf raises questions about the sustainability of the football pyramid and its ongoing ability to contribute to the “englands euros team value” through player development.
Currently, a financial standoff exists between the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL), which represents the three divisions below the Premier League. The dispute centers on the proportion of Premier League television revenue shared with the lower leagues. Currently, around 15% is distributed, but a significant portion of this is allocated as “parachute payments” to clubs relegated from the Premier League to the Championship. While parachute payments offer a temporary cushion, they don’t address the systemic financial inequalities across the broader football pyramid, which is crucial for maintaining the developmental value that feeds into the “englands euros team value”.
A Sporting Chance: Balancing Financial Fair Play and Player Development
Over the past two decades, the financial gap between the Premier League and the lower leagues has widened considerably. Research indicates that numerous lower league clubs are operating close to insolvency, with more than half technically insolvent. In a bid to chase promotion and the associated higher revenues, some clubs resort to taking on substantial financial risks, further jeopardizing their long-term stability. This precarious financial situation within the lower leagues directly impacts their ability to invest in youth development and maintain the infrastructure that supports the pipeline of talent contributing to the “englands euros team value.”
One contributing factor to this instability is the fragmented governance structure of English football. Multiple organizations oversee different aspects of the sport. The Football Association (FA) governs the England national team and grassroots football but has limited direct influence over the operational management of the various professional leagues. This disjointed governance can hinder cohesive strategies for financial distribution and long-term sustainability across the entire football pyramid, impacting the future “englands euros team value.”
However, change may be on the horizon. Leading up to the 2024 general election, all major political parties pledged in their manifestos to introduce an independent football regulator. The primary objective of this regulator would be to improve the financial health of clubs across the top five leagues. This regulatory intervention could be a crucial step in safeguarding the future “englands euros team value” by ensuring the financial viability of clubs at all levels.
Gareth Southgate, England Manager
A potential outcome of effective regulation could be a more unified approach to governing powers, fostering closer collaboration between different footballing bodies. This enhanced cooperation could lead to increased support for lower league clubs, strengthening player development pathways and ultimately enhancing the future strength and “englands euros team value.”
While government intervention in financial distribution remains uncertain, the need for a more equitable system is clear. For England to maintain its success on the international stage, the flow of talent from the lower leagues must continue unimpeded by financial distress and systemic fractures. If an independent regulator were to implement more robust revenue sharing mechanisms, the positive ripple effect could be a consistently stronger England team in future tournaments, potentially leading to coveted silverware. Ultimately, recognizing and nurturing the “englands euros team value” requires a holistic approach that values and supports the entire football pyramid, from the Premier League to the grassroots.
