IT WORRIES me about the lack of young English centre halves coming through in the game.

As someone who has played in all the divisions, I think it's becoming a real concern. The supply line has dried up.

With England at the moment, you've got Gary Cahill, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. That's not the same as a few years ago when there was the likes of John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate.

These days you don't see Premier League clubs prepared to give young English centre halves a chance. It's far easier for them to bring in established foreigners who are playing in Italy, France or Spain.

You need to play regular games to get experience and improve. It's no good playing just three and getting taken out of the team – you need ten or 15 in a row to mature in the position both mentally and physically.

I played centre half when I was 17 at Middlesbrough but made a mistake in a few games and ended up at right back for the rest of my time there.

Probably with me, my confidence dipped and I felt I'd let everyone down.

As a defender, you are going to make lots of mistakes and they are going to get noticed. You can have a fantastic game for 85 minutes but that one error that leads to a goal is all that people will remember.

That's why I like what Louis van Gaal is doing with Tyler Blackett at Man United. Instead of looking at someone else to come in, he is going to keep playing him and allow him to learn the position.

Terry made his debut at a very young age and has probably made thousands of mistakes through his career. But he's played week after week and that has made him the great centre half he is.

Look at Ferdinand, who came through very young at West Ham and was a regular. It was the same with Woodgate at Leeds and King with Spurs.

Young defenders need regular games and regular coaching – how often do you see defensive coaches at clubs? It's all part of the development of a young centre half.