One of the cornerstones of the EU is the free movement of workers.

So Swedes and EU citizens have easily been able to get permission to play football in the UK.

That is changing now that the British have agreed with the EU on the Brexit agreement, the exit from the union.

In order for an English football club to be allowed to recruit a foreign player, it is required that the player meets certain requirements in order to obtain a work permit in the country - something that was previously only required for non-EU players.

From January 2021, clubs in the Premier League and the other three professional leagues in England will not be allowed to recruit foreign players under the age of 18, something that was previously allowed.

-I think it's a shame, in that way you lose a lot of interesting players who previously could have come to England, but who now do not meet the criteria, says Martin Dahlin, former Swedish national team player and now player agent.

Ordinary road

Over the years, several Swedish players have gone to Premier League clubs in their early teens.

Muamer Tankovic (Fulham), Kristoffer Peterson (Liverpool), Sebastian Larsson (Arsenal) and Kristoffer Olsson (also Arsenal) are just a selection of all Swedes who left Sweden for England early in their careers.

-In England, successive changes have been made in recent years to benefit the domestic youth players.

Now foreign players cannot enter the academies and take their places, says Dahlin.

Players over the age of 18 from other countries will also be kept on a tight leash.

With the UK's official withdrawal from the EU, the criteria for work permits will also be tightened.

The permit will be awarded via a points system, and a player needs to have at least 15 points to get a work permit.

-In the big race, I do not think it affects a lot when it comes to senior players in the Premier League.

In the Championship, on the other hand, it can be more difficult, because those clubs do not always buy players who have national team merits, says Dahlin.

ARCHIVE: Robin Olsen ready for Everton 10/6 2020

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Robin Olsen ready for Everton in the Premier League