The Liverpool manager has thrown his support behind Greg Dyke’s proposal to introduce a new tier of football in a bid to improve opportunities for young English players

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has backed Football Association chairman Greg Dyke’s plans to introduce Premier League B-teams into a new fifth tier of English football from the 2016-17 season.

Dyke has recieved huge criticism since announcing various prospoals set out by the England Commission in a bid to boost the number of English players starting in the top flight.

But Rodgers, who has previous experience handling youth teams at Reading and Chelsea, insists it is something he has been long in favour of.

“It’s something that I’ve thought for years that should happen. It’s one I’m a big advocate of,” he told TalkSPORT.

“I’ve worked in development for nearly 15 years and I look at the investment; there’s a huge investment that’s been put into young players in this country, and there’s a huge investment that’s been put into coaching.

“We’re talking 300 odd-million pounds in coaching for young players to come through, and yet we look at the numbers and the stats and they’ll tell you that there’s only over 30 per cent of young [English] players that are getting an opportunity in what is the most competitve league in the world, so we have to find a way to give them the opportunity.

“Because as much as what we’ve done with the schedule of under-21s, it doesn’t bring the competition, the competitve nature, that’s required for you as a manager to assess a young player.

“People will always talk about the tradition of the game here in this country, but one of the things that’s most constant is change and you have to look at ways in which you can be better and giving young players a chance.

“And I think that the B league, however it is formed, is something that’s very important to give young players that competitive football.”