Everton will face a very familiar foe at Goodison Park today who is finally getting back to his best.
Ross Barkley has been back at his beloved Goodson before with Chelsea in 2019 and Aston Villa in 2021, but he returns today with Luton in top form. Barkley has two goals and an assist for Luton in the Premier League since joining them on a free from Nice and is looking more like the player who lit up the top fight and England over a decade ago.
The Scouser was just 17 when David Moyes handed him his Everton debut on the opening day of the season in August 2011 against QPR. Moyes didn’t put him on the wing, he positioned him in the centre of midfield, such was his confidence in the youngster.
He flourished under Moyes’ successor, Roberto Martinez, and the Spaniard said he was a mix of Paul Gascoigne and Michael Ballack. Roy Hodgson handed him his England debut when he was just 19 and he was pivotal for the Three Lions at the 2014 World Cup.
But his career went into reverse when Ronald Koeman succeeded Martinez as manager in 2016. The arrogant Dutchman wasn’t interested in putting an arm around Barkley, like Martinez did, and instead began a very public battle with him.
He questioned his commitment when he refused to sign a new Everton deal and wasted almost £70million on replacing him with Gylfi Sigurdsson and Davy Klaasen. Koeman did not succeed in driving Barkley out of Goodison because he was sacked three months before he was sold to Chelsea in January 2018 for a knockdown £15million.
Moving to Chelsea should have been the making of Barkley, but he joined with a hamstring injury and his career continued to go downhill. He was loaned to Aston Villa in September 2020 before he was released by Chelsea and joined Nice on a free two years later.
Ligue 1 did not work for him and he joined Luton, the home of waifs and strays, in August. Hatters boss Rob Edwards has turned him around and at 30, he is finally looking like the player who sparkled for Everton all those years ago.
He may feel he has a point to prove on his latest return to Goodison and Everton fans booed him because of the way he felt he engineered his move to Chelsea when he came back with them in 2021. Everton could certainly do with him in their depleted midfield and Blues boss Sean Dyche remembers seeing him at Nice when he was out of work after leaving Burnley in April 2022.
He feels Barkley has found a home at Luton where he can shine again. “Ross kind of travelled his way through and around and he played for Nice,” he said.
“I actually went over there to see a game, I think he was sub that day, on my travels being out of work and stuff.
“He’s still a very good player and he’s found what looks like a home in a team that amongst the fight and everything, probably gives him his chance to maybe show the qualities he has.
“He’s way before my time here so I don’t know him or anything, but from an outside view, it looks like he’s found a club that he feels OK with.”
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