International football is under serious threat, according to Gordon Taylor, the Professional Footballers' Association chief executive.

He is worried that the vast number of footballers now plying their trade on foreign soil will soon prompt countries to adopt players for their national teams as well.

The post-Bosman Premiership has become flooded with players from overseas. Chelsea's signing of Didier Deschamps this week took to 172 the number of foreign players with Premiership clubs. When the Premiership was launched in 1992, there were 11 foreign players registered.

Taylor said: "If the process continues I can even see a situation where international club football will take over from national football which is a worry.

"There will probably be attempts to have national teams made up of players who have been playing in that country for a number of years. That is almost what is happening in the cricket world."

A combination of European law since the Bosman Ruling, increased television revenue for transfers and the globalisation of the game has led to a flood of overseas signings here and on the Continent.

Taylor said: "It's already a serious worry for England, Italy, Spain and Germany. The countries with the greatest influx of foreign players are the countries who didn't make the final stages of the World Cup last year.

"It's quite ironic that France, who spent millions on youth development and saw the fruits of success in the World Cup, are now finding all their best players playing abroad."

Problems were underlined towards the end of last season's Premiership when there were only a total of around 130 players from England playing in the top flight.

Keegan must select his first squad from these players as hardly any top-class English players are playing abroad.

World-class players like Gianfranco Zola and Dennis Bergkamp have undoubtedly helped the game's popularity in England. But there is a price being paid according to Taylor.

Only the brightest youngsters get a chance to shine and top clubs are increasingly reluctant to take a gamble on an unproven lower-league player.

Taylor said: "We want to make sure there are enough opportunities for our own talent otherwise there's a danger that these lads might look to other sports or even other professions if they don't see daylight."

Taylor said: "I would love to see a rule where half a club's starting line-up have to be from the United Kingdom but could you hold up such a ruling in the face of lawyers and politicians?"

Taylor is intrigued by proposals in Germany to make every club have at least 12 German players on their books.

The Scottish Premier League have introduced a rule demanding at least two subs must be under-21, in the hope of encouraging youth to break through.

But, with top flight clubs now casting their scouting nets around the globe, any regulations restricting the ages of players may not have the desired affect.

Arsenal plucked a 17-year-old Nicolas Anelka from Paris St Germain, two years ago, and Chelsea snapped up Finnish wonder-boy Mikael Forssell before he had finished his schooling.