YOU could be forgiven for thinking that the debate over foreigners in British sport was solely confined to football.

But that doesn't wash with Team GB and Castle Cover Pirates boss Neil Middleditch.

So much so that Middleditch believes Great Britain has "lost its way in world speedway" because of the "influx of foreigners" riding in the Elite League.

The national team manager almost quit the post last year after expressing public doubts over whether Britain had enough young talent coming through to compete successfully at the top level in future.

But he decided to stay in the part time post 12 months ago and has just confirmed he is "happy to carry on" in 2008.

Straight-talking Middleditch, who succeeded Dave Jessup as boss in 2001, has stressed he is fully aware the national team is in the doldrums, though.

He also believes there is no quick fix, even if British speedway bosses were to give him the push at their annual meeting later this month and bring in a new man to lead their World Cup challenge next season.

Middleditch said: "I keep saying it. The main problem with Great Britain now is the lack of ambition with the youngsters.

"We have the likes of Lewis Bridger, Tai Woffinden, if he decides to ride under the British banner, and a few others coming through, but they are still a couple of years away at the moment.

"Basically, I'm still racing with the same guys I started out with in 2001 like Scott Nicholls, Lee Richardson and Mark Loram - if he is able to come back from his injury - but they are still the best, along with Chris Harris.

"It's funny, I heard Steven Gerrard, the England footballer, saying on the radio about how many foreigners there are in the Premier League and how it effects the national team and I thought that is exactly the same situation British speedway is in.' "You only have to look at how many Brits are in the Elite League top 20 averages.

"Twenty years ago 70 per cent were Brits. Now there are maybe only three, or four.

"The influx of foreigners has stopped our young riders coming up. We are bringing in Swedes, Poles and Danes, and our own youngsters haven't got a look in.

"That's why I feel we have lost our way a bit in world speedway."

Asked whether British speedway could change the situation by just banning foreigners from our top flight forthwith, Middleditch replied: "The floodgates have opened. I'm afraid it's too late.

"We can't just say now you can't have foreigners in the league'. It's too late because the league would not function.

"What do we do to get British speedway great again? I wish I knew because that is the million-dollar question.

"One of the answers is that we have to encourage our young riders to come up to the Elite League and stick it out until they are successful in it. But I see why a lot of them don't.

"You do your apprenticeship, get into the Premier League, and you're on good money.

"Then you go up into the Elite League to try it, lose money, stick it out for a while and drop back down into the Premier again because you are better off.

"But as a country we have to look at the bigger picture. Our league has to be set up to encourage our kids to come up.

"I realise we are not a world force at this time. And until we find a solution that will remain the same.

"It is all about ambition, ambition, ambition. There are British riders who have ridden in the Premier League for years.

"They have one or two years in the Elite and go back down. So until we change that way of thinking, we are going to continue to have the same problem."