When Ian Rush arrived in Turin in July 1987, he was one of the most feared strikers in the game having fired Liverpool to the European Cup and a plethora of domestic titles.
The £3 million (Dh16m) move to Juventus was expected to forge his football reputation even further, but instead the Welshman struggled in unfamiliar surroundings, scoring a meagre eight goals in 29 games for the Serie A side.
He was 25-years-old at the time, yet admits he still could not handle the transition from one European country to another. And, while the trend to recruit foreign gems has continued at an even faster pace, the age of those potential stars landing on Premier League shores is rapidly reducing.
This week, the All Party Parliamentary Football Group threw their support behind Fifa's "six plus five" rule – a regulation that would demand each team in the Premier League field a minimum of six players eligible to play for England – and Rush believes the initiative would alleviate the pressure placed on the emerging talents brought from abroad.
"I was at a Uefa conference with Michel Platini [the president of Uefa] earlier this year and he was asking how old I was when I started playing for the Welsh national team," says Rush to Emirates Business. "I was 18, and the same applied for him.
"But Platini remarked that, in today's game, if we were playing well we would be brought to England at 14 or 15 years of age and then wouldn't adapt to the new environment. We'd probably be lost to football."
Arsenal – who plucked current captain Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona's youth academy in 2003 when he was 16 – offer an exception to that theory, as manager Arsene Wenger regularly looks outside of England for prospective players.
Instead of delving into the domestic market, Wenger prefers developing young foreign talent, particularly from Africa, and thrusting them into the first team.
In fact, out of the 18-strong Gunners squad who faced Liverpool last Tuesday night, only three were English. Kieran Gibbs, deputising for Frenchman Gael Clichy at left-back, was their only homegrown starter.
However, although Wenger may have the golden touch when it comes to unearthing stars from other environs, Rush feels more emphasis should be placed on encouraging British players at the highest level.
"You usually find five out of six players that come to England at an early age go straight back, so where does that leave the British players that were overlooked to bring the foreign lads in," says the Liverpool legend.
"Foreign players are technically better than the English, but British players have a big heart. When they're losing they know how to dig deep and work harder to get results, which foreign players often don't have.
"If British players can improve their technique and marry it with the full British spirit, they'll make it to the top. But what's happening now is they don't make the grade and then feel that they're a failure."
Rush had to regain confidence in his ability when he moved back to Liverpool in 1988 after that barren year in Turin. He returned to Anfield to spearhead their attack and finished his career with 346 goals for the Reds.
"People develop at different times," he concludes. "It's very hard going to another country at a young age. I was 25, so imagine the pressure on a 16-year-old."
Beck's form could Spur Harry
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has admitted he could be interested in bringing London boy David Beckham back home in the run-up to next year's World Cup in South Africa.
The 33-year-old is on track to make Fabio Capello's squad for the finals and will need somewhere to remain match sharp during Major League Soccer's off season between December and March.
Beckham (pictured) is spending the second half of this season at AC Milan, who are believed to be keen to repeat the loan deal for part of the 2009-10 season, but Redknapp has indicated that Tottenham could also be an option.
"I have not thought about David Beckham, but it would be disrespectful of me to say I would not be interested in him, were he to become available," Redknapp said.
"David Beckham is a fantastic player, but he is also a terrific role model and a terrific professional. If the opportunity was there to sign him, any club would have to think about it. He would still be a terrific player."
Tottenham may be an attractive option for Beckham as the club is based close to his English home north of London, as well as being the closest Premier League club to where he grew up. (AFP)
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