Is he still here? The Prem's forgotten men

It's probably worth noting that no team is allowed more than 17 non-home-grown players, hence the holes in many teams' completed lists – under-21 players do not need to be registered.

 

And, while some players appear to have been handed a lifeline with a new manager at the helm, others have been plucked from the wilderness simply to remind supporters they do, in fact, still exist.

Richard Wright (Manchester City)

Now 35, the former England international joined City last summer just weeks after tearing up his Preston contract, without having played a single game for the Lillywhites (citing his long commute from Ipswich as the main contributing factor).

 

He's yet to make an appearance for City's first team (in fact, he's made just three in as many years, two for Sheffield United and one for Ipswich). With the departures of Gareth Barry and Scott Sinclair over the summer his greatest asset, being English, has become even more valuable. 

 

Home-grown? YES
 

Dan Gosling (Newcastle United)

Will Gosling ever take wing? After being signed by Everton for a seven-figure sum shortly before his 18th birthday, the former Plymouth prodigy announced there was "no club he'd rather be at" just a year before joining Newcastle on a bosman. But the 23-year-old has made made just one league start in three seasons on Tyneside, despite his ability to play in three positions. A move to Crystal Palace fell through over the summer, and he's recently been linked with a loan move to Reading. 

 

Home-grown? YES
 

Dedryck Boyata (Manchester City)

The burly Belgian is back following two seasons out on loan at Bolton and FC Twente respectively. He hasn't featured for City since February 2010 but may be given another chance following injuries to countryman Vincent Kompany and new signing Martin Demichelis. Then again, he may not.

 

Home-grown? YES
 

Sebastian Coates (Liverpool)

Although he notably played in Liverpool's FA Cup humiliation at Oldham, Coates has made just six league starts for the Reds since joining in 2011 - and is unlikely to increase his tally any time soon after seriously damaging his knee on international duty with Uruguay. To add insult to that injury, in his absence, manager Brendan Rodgers sealed the transfers of fellow defenders Tiago Ilori and Mamadou Sakho on long-term deals.

 

Home-grown? NO
 

George McCartney (West Ham United)

After flitting between the North-East and the East End earlier in his career, throwing in a couple of loan spells at Leeds United somewhere in between, the Northern Ireland international is now in his third consecutive campaign with the Hammers. The 32-year-old played just 12 times in 2012/13 though, and has seen Joey O'Brien, a midfielder turned right-back, ahead of him on the left so far this season. The signing of Razvan Rat from Shakhtar Donetsk means he's unlikely to feature too much this year either.

 

Home-grown? YES
 

Maurice Edu (Stoke City)

With just one sub appearance to his name after joining from Rangers in August 2012, the USA international was farmed out to Turkish side Bursaspor for the latter part of last season. He may be given a lifeline under new boss Mark Hughes but is yet to feature in 2013/14.

 

Home-grown? NO

 

Simon Dawkins (Tottenham Hotspur)

Richard Dawkins may deny the existence of God but Spurs seem desperate to maintain the existence of Simon Dawkins. The attacking midfielder initially left Tottenham in 2009 but, remarkably, is still clinging to his White Hart Lane career after being brought back two years later. The 25-year-old hasn't made an appearance since he joined the north London side, spending a year with San Jose Earthquakes before playing four times on loan at Aston Villa in 2012/13. Andre Villas-Boas brought in five new midfielders over the summer, but Dawkins remains on the roll-call.

 

Home-grown? YES
 

Tommy Smith (Cardiff City)

The 33-year-old winger scrapes into Malky Mackay's squad, a year to the week since missing the cut at Queens Park Rangers. The former Watford man managed just one goal for the Bluebirds in 2012/13 as they clinched promotion to the top flight for the first time in 53 years. Cardiff are his fifth Premier League side, but with Craig Bellamy first choice on the right he's been restricted to one Capital One Cup appearance so far this campaign.

 

Home-grown? YES
 

Leroy Lita (Swansea City)

A former England under-21 international, Lita was a surprise inclusion on Michael Laudrup's list. Reportedly chased by a number Championship sides over the summer after a successful loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday in 2012/13, the Swans instead opted to hold on to the 28-year-old striker. The signing of Wilfried Bony is likely to further limit Lita's first-team opportunities at the Liberty Stadium.

 

Home-grown? YES
 

Tadanari Lee (Southampton)

After joining Southampton en route to the Premier League, Saints shipped the 27-year-old out on loan to FC Tokyo just a year later without a single top-flight appearance to his name. The Japan international turned down a permanent move to Tokyo in the summer but is likely to find his chances limited yet again with Jay Rodriguez, Rickie Lambert and new signing Pablo Osvaldo all ahead in the pecking order.

 

Home-grown? NO 
 

Park Chu Young (Arsenal)

Park was the first in a flurry of Arsenal signings at the end of the 2011 window. While Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker have fared well since their moves from Everton and Werder Bremen respectively, it's fair to say the South Korean (and the departed Andre Santos) hasn't. Three goals on loan at Celta Vigo last season have done little to earn him a first-team spot at the Emirates - or get anywhere near Arsene Wenger's squad for that matter. Arsenal's failure to lure a big-name striker during the summer goes some way to explaining his inclusion, but this is still one of Wenger's most bizarre signings to date. 

 

Home-grown? NO