Sir Trevor Brooking, the Football Association's director of football development, is concerned that the huge amount of money which continues to flood into the Barclays Premier League could stifle the growth of home-grown talent.

Manchester City's proposed takeover by Abu Dhabi-based business tycoons the United Group for Development and Investment have given another top-flight club the spending power to buy the world's best players.

But Brooking hopes that will not be to the detriment of promoting the best of what Britain has to offer.

"Manchester City have probably got one of our better academies and with the sort of money they now have available the challenge is going to be where are English players going to get their opportunities?," he said, "They have the ability to bring in top players from around the world."

With worries persisting over the continuing increase in foreign players in the top flight, Brooking fears for the knock-on effect for the England team.

"If that 37 per cent of English players in the Premier League starts to decline that is going to be a concern," he added.

Brooking also sympathised with the plight of Kevin Keegan and Alan Curbishley after the two managers quit their jobs this week in the face of boardroom interference.

Keegan walked out on Newcastle United last night complaining about not having the final say on transfers while Curbishley departed West Ham earlier in the week after failing to reconcile similar issues at Upton Park.

"Newcastle and West Ham have similarities where managers have queried roles and responsibilities at the club and have parted company on almost the same issue," Brooking said.

"I don't know how it functions but knowing Alan and Kevin I'm sure when they took the job they always thought they had the final say on players coming in and out.

"When you stand on the touchline on match days most of the fans assume most of the players and people around are your decision and you brought them in.

"In the end they (the manager) will be in the firing line so both of them (Keegan and Curbishley) felt that was the case and felt that was why they couldn't carry on."