SCOTLAND'S cash-strapped top clubs are facing a mass exodus of their leading players to England after the collapse of the Setanta television deal.

SCOTLAND'S cash-strapped top clubs are facing a mass exodus of their leading players to England after the collapse of the Setanta television deal.

That was the stark warning from Bristol City boss Gary Johnson, who has completed the £1million signing of striker David Clarkson from Motherwell.

Clarkson, who netted 14 goals for the Steelmen last season, is just one of several talented Scottish players who have moved south this summer.

Stephen Dobbie (Swansea), Robbie Neilson (Leicester) and Scott Severin (Watford) have all won transfers to the Coca-Cola Championship in recent weeks.

Rangers pair Charlie Adam and Allan Gow, who had loan spells in a league estimated to be the fourth richest in the world last term, and Paul Quinn of Motherwell, are also attracting interest.

Barlays Premier League new boys Burnley have also boosted their strikeforce by signing Scotland hitman Steven Fletcher from Hibs for £3m.

And ambitious Clarets boss Owen Coyle is also attempting to land SFWA Young Player of the Year James McCarthy - along with a host of rival clubs on the other side of Hadrian's Wall.

Coyle and his Swansea counterpart Roberto Martinez are both believed to have baulked at the chance to move up to this country to replace Gordon Strachan as Celtic manager.

Last season, several Cham-pionship players moved north - including Madjid Bougherra (Charlton), Kevin Kyle (Coventry), Kyle Lafferty (Burnley), Kenny Miller (Derby) and Glenn Loovens (Cardiff).

However, City gaffer Johnson, who already had three Scots at Ashton Gate, reckons we are witnessing the start of a major brawn drain of our talented stars in the opposite direction.

SPL chiefs are frantically trying to negotiate a new broadcast deal, with either ESPN or Sky, before the 2009/10 campaign kicks off in early August.

However, the failure of the £125m agreement with Setanta, the Irish-based satellite company which went into administration last month, has left many clubs facing an uncertain financial future.

And Johnson, whose son Lee qualifies to play for this country because of a Glasgow-born mother, reckons English clubs are starting to capitalise on our well-publicised problems.

He said: "I have seen a few Scottish games on Setanta and I have liked what I have seen of David. Our scouts, including my brother Peter, took a look at him and we felt he was right for us.

"He has a good work ethic and the sort of mentality we are looking for. He suits the way we try to play football here as well. He is a round peg for a round hole. With all due respect to the SPL, which I think is a good league, the Coca-Cola Cham-pionship is more competitive. It is difficult to win every week.

"If you look at it from the top to the bottom there are no teams you can say are easy to beat. Playing in that sort of environment will help David improve as a player.

"Playing here should also improve his chances of forcing his way into his national team. I think this league is becoming very attractive to many Scottish players."

Johnson added: "The Scottish market is not one which is flourishing at the moment because of Setanta going bust. There is a lot of uncertainty there.

"I have never been let down by any player I have brought down from Scotland. My wife is Scottish and she tells me to sign them. Seriously, though, to a man, they have a mentality that I like to see in a player.

"You can bring in foreign players who you think have the right attitude and when you get them you discover they don't. But I have never been disappointed with a Scottish player.

"Scottish players are good value for money as well. Foreign players invariably cost a couple of million pounds more for the same and are far more unreliable.

"I think more and more English clubs are looking at the Scottish market because they know they can get good players for good prices at the moment in the current difficult climate up there."