Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has rejected suggestions that the club have signed English players this summer for the sake of it.
The former Premier League champions have recruited Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph and teenage starlet Patrick Roberts in the last couple of weeks.
Overall, City have spent more than £55m in bringing the trio to the Etihad Stadium, but with the need to add to their 'homegrown' contingent following the departures of James Milner and Frank Lampard, there have been suggestions that English players were targeted simply for that reason.
However, Hart, who is England's number one goalkeeper, believes that the trio were wanted by the club for their quality.
"This club looks to sign the best players wherever they are from," the Daily Star quotes Hart as saying. "It is good for me that they are English players and it is good to have that at the heart of the squad, but I'm pretty sure we've signed these players simply because they are very good players."
Sterling, who reportedly cost City £49m, is due to make his debut for the club in today's pre-season friendly against Roma in Melbourne.
Danielle Joynson
