Michel Platini has backed Football Association chairman Greg Dyke's plan to increase the minimum number of home-grown players in club squads from eight to 12.
Dyke is facing opposition to his plans from the Premier League but UEFA president Platini said the European body would work to help him.
It comes as Dyke said it was "depressing" to read Rio Ferdinand's newspaper column claiming that managers such as Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho may not be giving young English players a chance.
Platini, speaking after the UEFA Congress in Vienna, said: “This is a position we defend. We’re not only talking about England, we’re talking all of Europe. Mr Dyke’s struggle with the FA is something we share and we agree with him.
“With the new leader of the European Commission it is important we establish close relations to see how we can protect home-grown, grass-roots young players in the different countries. We share the same perspective. We will work hand in hand to defend an idea that we think is the right one.
“There is free flow of workers but there are some things that doesn’t work well and we need to address it.”
UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino admitted that its similar rule of eight home-grown players in European squads was not working as well as it should and called Dyke's initiative "fantastic".
He added: “We are at eight out of 25 and we see it is not really as great as it should be so whatever move in favour of increasing home-grown players is something we can only support. Congratulations to England.”
Dyke’s proposals are set to be discussed at a Premier League chairmen’s meeting on Thursday as well as the FA board. They also include changing the rules so that ‘home-grown’ means having trained in England for three years before the age of 18 rather than 21.
The FA chairman said: “I thought Rio Ferdinand’s column was in some ways quite depressing. It virtually said Mourinho is virtually saying he is not going to play the kids anyway. Why have an academy then?
“It’s not fair on the kids. It was always tough for kids to get through but it seems unfair now.”
Asked if he had looked at how the FA could force the new rules through despite opposition, he replied: “We have but that’s not the way we want to go. We have looked at it yes.”
Dyke said all the proposals were open for discussion.
He added: "I think it's more about the clubs than the leadership if you want my honest opinion. It's the unfairness of a system that is massively improved because of the EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan) which was introduced by the Premier League led by Richard Scudamore, he has done a great job.
“The trouble is that it is only any good if the kids get through the system — if they can’t get through the system why bother?
“We are open to discussions on all of it. This is a set of ideas which we think will work.”
