After the UK voted to leave the EU on Thursday, the repercussions and consequences will be felt in all walks of life and also in sport.
The Premier League has established itself as the most lucrative and popular league in Europe, with players, coaches and others able to work in the UK without needing a work permit that most non-EU citizens need.
That in itself will be problematic when the changes are eventually enforced, albeit that’s not expected for at least two years, as it is said that over 100 players currently playing in the English top flight would fail to gain such a work permit, as they haven’t played the requisite percentage of their national team’s matches.
Currently, non-EU players in a top-10 nation have to have played in 30 per cent of their country’s games in the two years prior to the date of making his application to secure a work permit.
The lower down in the rankings, the bigger the percentage, thus now making it very difficult in the years ahead for some of the top young talents to secure a path to the Premier League.
Much of what will now happen is guesswork at this stage, but ultimately one of the general theories that has come out since Brexit was confirmed, is that established EU players will command higher transfer fees and wages moving forward.
In contrast, the counter-argument will see those seeking more homegrown talent and an emphasis on developing young English players secure a boost as clubs up and down the country could now change their strategy.
While there will be no retrospective action that will effect players currently plying their trade in the Premier League, the decision to leave the EU will be felt in England over time and it will be interesting to see whether or not it is capable of continued growth.