Chelsea’s Barkley fears hostile reception against Everton

LONDON: Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is braced for a hostile reception when his old club Everton visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Barkley left Everton to join Chelsea in January after 13 years at Goodison Park and this weekend faces the Toffees for the first time since that controversial move.

The 24-year-old did not play for Everton in the last seven months of his time on Merseyside due to a hamstring problem and eventually moved to Chelsea in a cut-price £15 million (US$19 million) deal.

With his contract winding down, Barkley had initially been linked with Tottenham before the Chelsea switch and his desire to further his career away from Everton, combined with the protracted nature of the transfer, soured his time with Toffees fans.