As such, offering a non-UK domiciled tax package, whereby secondary non-earned income is exempt from tax is only reasonable. The UK economy will be weaker if we lose high earners like them, both for revenue and prestige. I don’t know the amount of secondary income for footballers, and I am sure for a few it can be massive amounts, but we are talking the exception rather than the rule.

If our England players do not know how to play as a team, that’s their managers fault

As a matter of fact it is Alex who shows his ignorance here. Foreign players may indeed pay UK tax on their footballing income, but as anyone who knows a little about football these days also knows, that is far from the full income of “star”. They are also paid by their clubs for “image rights”, These can be paid offshore if the player is non-domiciled. They earn substantial sums from advertising and other arrangements. Again, the non domciled player can exploit this.

The result is that they achieve a higher after tax income from a gross receipt in the UK than they do elsewhere, or when compared to UK players. Clubs can exploit this by effectively securing their services at lower rate than might be required eleewhere, meaning foreign players are effectively cheaper than UK based ones.

As such the UK football economy is biased in their favour.

So yes I, and Richard Brooks (a former tax inspector) who wrote the article do have some idea of what we’re talking about. We just happen to also realise that the world is a complex place and that sometimes those fuelled by a little knowledge and a desire for abuse make themselves look rather foolish.

Yes, the part of their income they don’t earn on UK income (i.e they pay the same tax on what they earn at premiership clubs as English players) - do you know anything about non-dom tax law?

It was quite clear on the night that Croatia were technically superior to England, and were top of the group on merit.

What is needed is a grass roots appraisal of the national game, starting with the new centre of excellence at Burton. The short term objectives of league managers and chairman need to be curtailed and the ridiculous division between the football leagues and the FA resolved.

If England continues to hold its head in the sand the gap between our national football team and superior teams from the Continent and elsewhere will continue to grow.