PETER VARNEY has warned the Premier League that it risks becoming a playground for foreign players unless home grown youngsters are allowed to bloom.

Charlton’s chief executive made an outspoken intervention as he stepped into the debate raging over Arsenal’s decision to become the first English club to name a team and five substitutes without one native-born player.

The Addicks spend £1.25m on their youth academy and Mr Varney questioned whether that investment would be worth it unless attitudes change.

Arsenal are now recruiting teenagers from overseas for their academies, though inevitably some will be English.

From next year, four players out of squad of 25 named for European competition must be ‘home grown’. That is two having been brought up through the club’s academy and two having had to spend three years between the ages of 15 and 21 in the country.

This will rise in 2007 to three and three and then to four and four in 2008. Mr Varney wants the same for Premier League matches.

He said: "I’m hugely in favour of making a path for youth players to reach the first team and by including them among the substitutes it would help. Otherwise a club like Chelsea would name seven top class players on the bench.

"Something has to be done otherwise home grown players will be found only in the Coca-Cola Championship and lower divisions.

"The Premier League will be become a playground for foreign players and this has huge implications for the national game. It does not bode well for the national side beyond next year’s World Cup finals in Germany.

"How will players for the future be developed? Charlton spend £1.25m on our academy, which is a great deal of expenditure. We are looking for a return on that investment."

Meanwhile, Mr Varney confirmed the club were still waiting to hear from the Premier League as to whether they will be competing in this summer’s Asia Cup.