But - if that is the case - what about the hundreds of players who choose to play for a country they weren't born in.
Look no further than our own Sammy Ameobi, who this week said he was willing to turn his back on England (the country of his birth) to play for Nigeria, because "I have more chance of a regular place playing for Nigeria".
Jamie Carragher: "The next manager of England should be English.
"I've got nothing against Capello, I went to the World Cup and got to know him, but that's not what international football is.
"It's like saying if our keeper's not good enough, we'll go and get (Gianluigi) Buffon from Italy.
"It's a form of cheating in international football and it's a bit embarrassing.
"It's different for developing countries in Africa and elsewhere, who are trying to build the game up but, for England, such a big football nation, I don't think we should have a foreign manager.
"Just because it didn't work out with Steve McClaren, it didn't mean we had to go for a foreign manager.
"We should have gone for the next best Englishman.
"We don't have many English managers in the Premiership but we should.
"If every club had an English manager, someone would have to win the league! Someone would have to win the FA Cup! And then they'd accumulate these trophies.
"Capello had an aura and presence that maybe McClaren didn't have.
"And it was the same with the likes of Benitez and Houllier at Liverpool, and Mourinho at Chelsea.
"With their CVs, they've all got something about them and have won big trophies. So does that mean English managers need to go abroad?"