A place in England’s Euro 2020 squad appeared to inspire Ross Barkley as his Chelsea side ripped Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton apart at Stamford Bridge.
Everton starlet Anthony Gordon has named former Toffees team-mate Ross Barkley as his toughest ever opponent in an Instagram Q&A.
You have to feel for Barkley – well, unless you have a rather long memory and live on the blue half of Stanley Park that is.
Rarely have we seen a player so clearly desperate to force his way into an England squad. Barkley had performed like a man possessed since the turn of the year, only to find that the European Championships had to be pushed back a further 12 months due to the global health crisis which has left the beautiful game in limbo.
Barkley was at his barnstorming best as Frank Lampard’s side put Everton to the sword with a 4-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge in the final game before the season was postponed indefinitely, ripping his old employers to shreds and notching two brilliant assists in West London.
Teenage forward Gordon came off the bench at Chelsea but neither he nor his Everton team-mates stood a chance when Barkley was in such inspired form.
So no wonder the Liverpool-born 19-year-old has namechecked his fellow scouser when asked to identify the most daunting opposition player he has come up against in his short career so far.
Chelsea paid just £15 million to land Barkley in January 2018 and, after a series of injuries and off-the-pitch controversies, the prospect of a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad appeared to coax the best out of this mercurial midfielder.
It remains to be seen now whether Barkley has the focus, not to mention the fitness, to get his head down and maintain those match-winning displays for a further 12 months. Gareth Southgate will be watching.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
