Burnley have confirmed that manager Scott Parker has left the club, with the departure described as “by mutual consent.” The decision followed last week’s defeat to Manchester City, a result that mathematically confirmed relegation and prompted discussions between Parker and Burnley’s hierarchy about his future.

“The Club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Scott for his professionalism, dedication and contribution,” a statement read. “He leaves with the respect and gratitude of everyone connected with Burnley Football Club.”

The club has appointed Mike Jackson as interim manager for the final four league fixtures of the season. Jackson previously took temporary charge at Turf Moor in April 2022 following Sean Dyche’s exit, overseeing an immediate run of 10 points from four games which earned him the Premier League manager of the month award.

There is recognition inside the club that Jackson would need an even more impressive sequence of results to be considered for the permanent position. It appears as though Steven Gerrard is leading that race.

Gerrard was thought to be “of interest” to Burnley’s owners before the decision to part ways with Parker was made. Now that his compatriot has been moved on, the Daily Mail claim that the retired England captain is the “favorite” for the vacant post.

The Liverpool midfielder-turned-manager last held a job in senior management 15 months ago with Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League. His only previous experience of senior management in English soccer came during an 11-month spell at Aston Villa.

With relegation confirmed and four fixtures remaining, Burnley will spend the closing weeks of the 2025/26 season under interim leadership while the club evaluates long-term options. The outcome of those matches and the internal selection process will determine whether Jackson is considered for a full-time role or if the reported interest in Gerrard progresses.

FIFA plans to submit a proposal within the next year that would tighten the role of homegrown players and shift the priorities of many clubs. The precise definition of “homegrown” has not yet been determined, but the aim is clear: to accelerate the development of younger players and change how squads are assembled.

Under the current Premier League requirement a 25-player squad may include “no more than 17” players who are not homegrown, leaving eight slots reserved for locally trained talent. That rule does not mandate how often those players must appear on the pitch. A similar provision exists in the UEFA Champions League. Both competitions currently define a homegrown player as one who has played at least three full seasons between the ages of 15 and 21 within a club or another club in the same country.

The proposed change would alter more than registration lists. It could influence substitution patterns, transfer-window activity and long-term roster construction. Clubs might be deterred from importing large numbers of veteran stars and instead invest greater resources in their youth systems. For teams that rarely field young homegrown starters, the adjustment would be significant.

There are four Premier League teams that have not included a homegrown player under 21-years-old in their starting lineup this season: Brentford, Leeds United, Aston Villa and recently-relegated Burnley. Those clubs would be among the most affected, facing the task of accelerating development or finding new young talent quickly.

By contrast, Manchester City would be best placed. Thirty of their 33 league matches so far included a U21 homegrown player in the starting XI, per The Times. Nico O’Reilly, 21, worked his way up City’s youth ranks since the age of eight and has started 26 league matches this season.

Manchester United are also relatively well positioned. Twenty of their 34 league games featured a U21 homegrown starter, with Kobbie Mainoo influential. The 21-year-old has made 12 starts in the last 13 league matches, shining under interim manager Michael Carrick’s tutelage.

Pep Guardiola’s attention to detail is well known. The manager’s dedication to tactical preparation once led him to pull a muscle in his back after watching hours of footage of an opponent at Bayern Munich ahead of a preseason match. That same obsessive approach now meets a tighter calendar. The Premier League have belatedly announced dates and kickoff times for remaining fixtures, handing Manchester City a compact schedule which has left them “frustrated,” per BBC Sport.

City’s remaining fixtures are:

Monday, May 4 — Everton — Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
Saturday, May 9 — Brentford — Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Wednesday, May 13 — Crystal Palace — Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Saturday, May 16 — Chelsea (FA Cup final) — Wembley Stadium, London
Tuesday, May 19 — Bournemouth — Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Sunday, May 24 — Aston Villa — Etihad Stadium, Manchester

The scheduling headache stems from the unresolved Crystal Palace fixture. The match was first postponed in February once City qualified for the Carabao Cup final and has not been rescheduled because of Palace’s run in the Conference League. City reportedly preferred playing Bournemouth on May 13 to finish with consecutive home games, but the Premier League instead placed that trip on May 19, three days after the FA Cup final. Andoni Iraola’s final home game as Bournemouth boss could prove to be an emotional setting for City’s penultimate league contest.

Arsenal face their own congestion with the Champions League semifinals, but the sequence is more manageable. Their fixtures are:

Wednesday, April 29 — Atlético Madrid — Metropolitano, Madrid
Saturday, May 2 — Fulham — Emirates Stadium, London
Tuesday, May 5 — Atlético Madrid — Emirates Stadium, London
Sunday, May 10 — West Ham — London Stadium, London
Monday, May 18 — Burnley — Emirates Stadium, London
Sunday, May 24 — Crystal Palace — Selhurst Park, London

Arsenal’s Champions League complication produces four games in 12 days, but Mikel Arteta has a five-day break before the West Ham trip and free weeks before Burnley and Crystal Palace. Arsenal also remain in London for May unless they reach the Champions League final in Budapest after the league season.

Chelsea’s remaining fixtures are:

Monday, May 4 — Nottingham Forest — Stamford Bridge, London
Saturday, May 9 — Liverpool — Anfield, Liverpool
Saturday, May 16 — Man City (FA Cup final) — Wembley Stadium, London
Tuesday, May 19 — Tottenham — Stamford Bridge, London
Sunday, May 24 — Sunderland — Stadium of Light, Sunderland

Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification remain alive under a specific condition. Should Aston Villa slip into fifth place and win the Europa League, the team which finishes sixth in the Premier League would also get a spot at the continental top table.