Why no Saints players in England U18 & U19 squads?

Its occurred to me for quite a while now that its rare for Saints players to be included in the England U18 and U19 squads. This has been reinforced today by the announcement of said squads with no Saints players in sight:

http://www.thefa.com/home/news/2017/mar/16/england-under-18s-squad-announcement-160317

Squad: Ellery Balcombe (Brentford), Ryan Schofield (Huddersfield Town), Jake Turner (Bolton Wanderers), Morgan Feeney (Everton), Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham Hotspur), George Tanner (Manchester United), Reece James (Chelsea), Jonathan Dinzeyi (Tottenham Hotspur), Tolaji Bola (Arsenal), Sadou Diallo (Manchester City), Marcus McGuane (Arsenal), Dennis Adeniran (Fulham), Tariq Uwakwe (Chelsea), Andre Dozell (Ipswich Town), Elliot Embleton (Sunderland), Reiss Nelson (Arsenal), Jonathan Leko (West Bromwich Albion), Samuel Shashoua (Tottenham Hotspur), George Hirst (Sheffield Wednesday), Edward Nketiah (Arsenal), Joshua Tymon (Hull City)

http://www.thefa.com/home/news/2017/mar/16/england-under-19s-squad-160317

Squad: Aaron Ramsdale (Bournemouth), Nathan Trott (West Ham United), Alfie Whiteman (Tottenham Hotspur), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), Jay DaSilva (Charlton Athletic on loan from Chelsea), Reece Oxford (Reading, on loan from West Ham United), Easah Suliman (Aston Villa), Tom Davies (Everton), Adetayo Edun (Fulham), Sam Field (West Bromwich Albion), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham), Dujon Sterling (Chelsea), Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest), Isaac Buckley Ricketts (Manchester City), Marcus Edwards (Tottenham Hotspur), Lukas Nmecha (Manchester City), Chris Willock (Arsenal)

Surely we've got some English academy players who are good enough to play for England at U18 or U19s? If not, does it suggest our academy isn't as productive as its renowned to be?

I'm not raising this as a criticism of the club, just curious as to why.

Edit: same applies to the U20 squad: http://www.thefa.com/home/news/2017/mar/16/under-20s-squad-announcement-160317

Squad: Dean Henderson (Manchester United), Luke Southwood (Reading), Freddie Woodman (Kilmarnock, on loan from Newcastle United), Jake Clarke-Salter (Chelsea), Callum Connolly (Wigan, on loan from Everton), Dael Fry (Middlesbrough), Rico Henry (Brentford), Jonjoe Kenny (Everton), Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Charlton), Fikayo Tomori (Brighton & Hove Albion, on loan from Chelsea), Axel Tuanzebe (Manchester United), Kyle Walker-Peters (Tottenham Hotspur), Lewis Cook (Bournemouth), Kieran Dowell (Everton), Ryan Ledson (Oxford), Ainsley Maitland Niles (Arsenal), Joshua Onomah (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Armstrong (Barnsley, on loan from Newcastle United), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Ademola Lookman (Everton), Patrick Roberts (Celtic, on loan at Manchester City), Dominic Solanke (Chelsea)

Maybe all the good players at our academy aren't English...?

Maybe all the good players at our academy aren't English...

That thought did occur to me! (where's MLG when you need him? #cantbearsedtocheckmyself)

No Josh Sims? Seems bizarre that we've got some young English players who have actually seen some Premier League action, but lower league and u23/academy footballers are getting selected ahead of them.

One of the fullbacks was called up for France U18 recently

Its occurred to me for quite a while now that its rare for Saints players to be included in the England U18 and U19 squads. This has been reinforced today by the announcement of said squads with no Saints players in sight:

 

http://www.thefa.com/home/news/2017/mar/16/england-under-18s-squad-announcement-160317

 

 

http://www.thefa.com/home/news/2017/mar/16/england-under-19s-squad-160317

 

 

Surely we've got some English academy players who are good enough to play for England at U18 or U19s? If not, does it suggest our academy isn't as productive as its renowned to be?

 

I'm not raising this as a criticism of the club, just curious as to why.

 

Edit: same applies to the U20 squad: http://www.thefa.com/home/news/2017/mar/16/under-20s-squad-announcement-160317

I believe there is some concern around the club, that we don't have anything coming through the younger age groups.

In all fairness it's unrealistic to expect a Bale, AOC, Lallana ect to come through every year.

At the moment it looks a little bare, however i'm sure the next big thing is just around the corner.

Josh Sims gets a late call up to the U20s squad.

No Saints kids in the U17 squad either:

Josef Bursik (AFC Wimbledon), Thomas McGill (Brighton & Hove Albion), Timothy Eyoma (Tottenham Hotspur), Lewis Gibson (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Chelsea), Jonathan Panzo (Chelsea), Steven Sessegnon (Fulham), Kane Wilson (West Bromwich Albion), Morgan Gibbs-White (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nya Kirby (Crystal Palace), Tashan Oakley-Boothe (Tottenham Hotspur), George McEachran (Chelsea), Rhian Brewster (Liverpool), Philip Foden (Manchester City), Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea), Daniel Loader (Reading), Jadon Sancho (Manchester City), Stephen Walker (Middlesbrough)*

* Replaces Angel Gomes (Manchester United) who is injured.

Whilst we all like to see the kids called up, and the Club PR Bandwagon gets a run out, in reality at these levels it means very little. Most of those named in the squads will not make it to the EPL, in the same way that most of our youth squads will not.

The job is to produce a smattering of EPL players, whilst not destroying battalions of kids in the process (I hope & trust). If we get one a year that makes it, that would be astonishing.

Interesting.

Jake Vokins just signed a pro contract, he is 17.

Callum Slattery has also signed a pro contract and he is currently 18.

What is going on here?

Maybe all the good players at our academy aren't English...

Over a third of the 1st/2nd year Academy players are not eligible for England. Chris Klarer was recently called up for Austria and Yan Valery for France.

The fact that Sims wasn't in the initial U20 squad is ridiculous. This is a young lad that has excelled this season in the Premier League, and ran the length of the field at Anfield in the League Cup Semi Final to assist the winning goal. He should be in the U21's, never mind being a late call up to the U20's.

Tom Davies not making the U21's is a joke too.