Wealth doesn't take edge off young players, claims FA director

London - Football Association technical director Dan Ashworth does not believe the vast sums on offer to young players in the Premier League is stopping English fledglings from fulfilling their potential.

This year's record-breaking television deal has seen already lucrative transfer fees and wages in English football's top flight increase still further.

Everton's John Stones, the target of interest from Manchester City, is now valued at £50 million despite having just 10 England caps to his name and not getting on the field at Euro 2016, while 20-year-old Jordon Ibe cost Bournemouth a reported club record £15 million.

Following England's embarrassing exit from Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland, some pundits said the rewards on offer to young English players meant they get too much too soon and so didn't perform to their best at international level.

However Ashworth said this was not a peculiarly English problem, explaining: "It's certainly not anything we can control, the level of transfer fees and wages. The going rate is the going rate.

"There is a lot of money about for young players but it's there for young German players, young Spanish players, young Portuguese players as well. If you're playing in England you're taking the benefit of the Premier League's wealth.

"It is up to the FA and to the clubs to ensure players are motivated to go and perform but I honestly don't think any player sits at 3:00 p.m. (GMT) on a Saturday thinking about money in the bank.

"They are professional athletes and they want to win, that's what they do."