Joe Davis column: EFL experience has helped to mould England's players

At the height of the pandemic, we feared for the future of the English Football League. The clubs that formed this country’s proud and fiercely competitive football pyramid were struggling to keep their heads above water due to losses in revenue.

Macclesfield Town, who spent 17 years in the EFL across two spells, were the first to fold during the financial plight, while players and coaches sought career changes to put food on the table at one point.

Upon the abrupt curtailment of the 2020/21 season, the football community made their voices heard and eventually it was the Premier League’s £250m bailout package that kept clubs afloat.

It was a significant moment because of the role our lower league clubs play in powering the conveyor belt of homegrown talent.

The reason for me rewinding to those precarious times is because we are reaping the rewards of that bailout today as we witness players like Jude Bellingham, a product of Birmingham City’s academy, excel on the World Cup stage.

In fact, a staggering 23 of the 26-man England squad either came through an EFL academy, played in the EFL via the loan system or made their professional debut in an EFL competition.