Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore confirmed plans today to launch a Premier League B League, which will be played at Premier League grounds, be televised and will feature U-23 players as well as four over age footballers.

The league will replace the current U-21 league format, and would involve the same teams that are in the Under-21 league – which is those who are classed as category one in the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).

There’s no news yet regarding when Scudamore wants to launch the Premier League B League, but here’s what he told The Daily Telegraph newspaper:

“We understand the challenge of developing English talent good enough to play in the Premier League first team is how do you get them to transition from Under-18s into first-team squads? It is such a huge leap. You have to have the transition phase, the ‘professional development phase’ we call it.

“The Under-21 League is technically very good but not where it needs to be in terms of meaningful competition for these youngsters.

“The minute you call it ‘Under-21’ people think it is no use. It needs a better name and a better focus. All clubs recognise that. We need proper kick-off times, using main stadiums, anything to create an experience that is more competitive and more like the first team so it doesn’t come as such a shock. And those players in that group should be interchangeable with the first team.

“They should be category one clubs and we are happy for them to be in that league with 16 of ours, and six of the Championship. If more cat one clubs come along you structure it accordingly.

“It should be in all our interests that people have more cat one academies because that’s the best it can be.”

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