How WSL aims to bridge academy gap - and why it needs to
The FA has linked up with Women's National League clubs - the third tier - to provide funds and resources for developing young talent, as well as building connections with WSL sides who want to loan players out to clubs at that level. Some academies have also been involved in the Women's National League Cup and Plate competitions, and they can enter local Senior County Cup tournaments. The maximum number of matches teams can play in a PGA league - competitions set up for age groups up to under-21 level - has increased from 19 to 27 in the past five seasons.
In summary, England's youngsters are getting more game time and playing in a wider range of competitions - but it is not at the elite level. There are gaps in the data, but both the FA and WSL Football have confirmed the number of minutes played in the top tier by English academy graduates has dropped dramatically in recent seasons because of the increased competition for places. Manchester City manager Andree Jeglertz told BBC Sport it is "the biggest step a young player will take" when they break into a WSL squad.
"I can only look at our own academy and it is a big step to go from there to being a senior player, especially for clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City - teams who want to be competing in Europe," he said. "What is the best solution to that? I don't know.
There definitely has to be some way to bridge that gap, whether that's how they are training or [the] professional [environment]. " One way City have prepared their young players is by having them train regularly alongside boys. It is a tactic mirrored by several WSL clubs, including Chelsea, who believe the increased intensity and physicality of boys' training is helpful.
This month, England manager Sarina Wiegman called up teenager Erica Meg Parkinson to the squad after she had played regular women's first team football in Portugal and had spent a number of years training with boys. But Chelsea boss Bompastor says other leagues across Europe are tackling the problem in a different way and England could follow suit. During her eight years at Lyon, where she was also head of their academy, Bompastor held discussions with the French federation, which later introduced a system allowing top-tier academies to play in the second division.