Dominic Solanke playing for England and not Liverpool is “ludicrous”, according to Steve Bruce, with there renewed calls for feeder clubs.
It has been suggested in the past that Premier League teams need to make the loan door more accessible for young talent and those on the fringes of the fold.
Solanke 11/8 to score vs. Stoke
Solanke is among those who could stand to benefit from an official link between teams in the top tier and those lower down the Football League ladder.
The 20-year-old left Chelsea for Liverpool over the summer in search of more regular football, but while he has made his senior international debut this term, he has made just 10 appearances for the Reds and seen only 85 top-flight minutes.
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“We need the larger clubs to have associations with the smaller ones,” Bruce, manager at Championship promotion chasers Aston Villa, told reporters.
“Feeder clubs? Yes. The general consensus is that the Under-23s isn't quite working.
“If you play when you are 18 and you are successful, you need the next step.
“At the moment, we've got the ludicrous situation of Solanke playing for England when he's hardly had a game with Liverpool. That can't be right.”
Bruce added: “We have young players all over the country doing well – but not playing.
“Surely any young, talented player would prefer turning out for the likes of Forest Green, Bury, Oldham Athletic – you're better playing there for three months and learning your trade than in the Under-23s.
“I think something like a draft system could work. Loans definitely benefit parent clubs.”
Solanke left Chelsea at the end of his Stamford Bridge contract having made just one senior appearance for the Blues.
His efforts in a successful U20 World Cup campaign with England, which saw him awarded the Golden Ball, saw him arrive at Anfield amid much excitement, but Jurgen Klopp has been unable to find him a regular role among more established creative talents.
He was, however, handed his Three Lions bow by Gareth Southgate in a glamour friendly clash with Brazil on November 14, with the highly-rated young forward handed 15 minutes at Wembley.
