Mature Barkley out to be Gareth’s Gazza
A run in the Chelsea side and ross Barkley is displaying a level of confidence that certainly was not evident the last time he was part of England’s set-up.
Here at St George’s Park yesterday, he was suggesting he could make a difference to the national team after three years without a competitive appearance.
Indeed, he even seemed to be up for the challenge of proving to England’s manager that there might be ‘another Gazza’ in their midst.
Last month Gareth Southgate bemoaned the fact that in his lifetime England has never produced another player like Paul Gascoigne. Well Barkley, hugely gifted player that he is, rather hopes that at 24 he can fill that particular void.
‘All of the midfielders will be thinking that way,’ said the former Everton attacking midfielder. ‘It’s a challenge for us to go out there and produce the goods as Gazza did when he was a player.’
Barkley certainly possesses the kind of creative streak Southgate could use as he looks to take his young England side to the next level, even if such flair and ambition sometimes comes at a cost. As much as Barkley excelled against Southampton on Sunday, he was partly at fault for the Daniel Sturridge goal that levelled for Liverpool the previous week.
‘I’ve matured as a person, understood how important football is, taken little details on under my new manager, and now things are going really well for me,’ he said.
‘I feel like I’m much more ready to show what I’m capable of; to show what I have shown over the years in spells. I can produce the goods on game day. Maybe in the last few years I’ve been inconsistent, and I had to come through a difficult spell at Everton and a bad injury when I arrived at Chelsea.
‘But I’m in the best shape of my life right now and I’m fully focused on giving consistent performances.
‘I believe I can bring something different to England.’
Barkley is also enjoying playing with someone of the quality of Eden Hazard, a situation he very much hopes will continue.
‘I can’t speak for Eden,’ he said. ‘But he loves Chelsea, he knows what he wants and I’d love to play with him for many more years ahead.’