Although he has excelled in the Premier League this season, the Luton star faces the challenge of returning to the national team.
Ross Barkley has always been surrounded by a special aura, from the moment he made his senior debut for Everton, when he was just 17. In August 2011, QPR left Goodison Park with a 1-0 victory, but Barkley made headlines by standing out on the pitch after being given a start ahead of Mikel Arteta and Marouane Fellaini.
Comparisons with Toffees cult hero Wayne Rooney inevitably followed, while former England and Arsenal defender Martin Keown predicted he would become “one of the best players we’ll ever see in this country”. For a time, Barkley looked set to live up to this expectation, as he became a key cog in Everton’s machinery and a regular for the Three Lions, playing in all three group matches at the 2014 World Cup.
Four years later, he secured a £15 million ($19 million) transfer to Cheap Chelsea Football Jerseys, which should have been the ideal place for him to reach the next level. Alas, it didn’t work out, and he left the club as a free agent in 2022, with just 100 appearances in all competitions to his name.
It seemed Barkley would never realize his potential, especially after a disappointing spell at Nice last season, but Luton Town offered him a fresh start following promotion to the Premier League, and the gamble has paid off. The Hatters have a real hope of avoiding immediate relegation with 10 games to go, and much of the credit for this must go to Barkley, who has sparked rumors of a recall to the England squad thanks to his dazzling performances.
Unfortunately, his path is likely to be blocked by a certain former Liverpool midfielder who is no longer at his best. Indeed, Jordan Henderson remains one of the first names on Gareth Southgate’s shortlist, and England fans risk another painful summer as Barkley’s exploits at Kenilworth Road go unrewarded.
Adapting to a new role
Barkley made just nine starts in Ligue 1 with Nice, who are owned by Manchester United’s new minority shareholders, INEOS, and so did not have the opportunity to extend his contract at the Allianz Riviera. However, Barkley hasn’t completely wasted his year, declaring earlier this month: “I’ve learned a lot off the ball. In France, they work a lot on the defensive aspect of the game, with very aggressive pressing”.
This experience has helped Barkley adapt to his new role as defensive midfielder at Luton. The 30-year-old has accepted extra responsibility in defence, and the Hatters also rely on him to build their attacks, his progressive passing allowing them to threaten any opponent if they break.
During his time at Chelsea, an apparent lack of confidence led Barkley to take the easy way out on the ball, but with Luton he appears to be a player reborn, projecting himself forward at every opportunity. Despite his new status as a defensive midfielder, Barkley has also managed to contribute nine goals for Rob Edwards’ side this season, partnering Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris to great effect.
“I’ve been moved forward, into more attacking positions, because my decision-making when I was younger wasn’t as good as it is now. It comes with experience,” he said when asked about his Kenilworth Road revival. “I think the lower midfield role suits me perfectly. I understand the game better. I can take risks, make decisive passes and I’m much more disciplined defensively.
I’m backing myself for England
Barkley’s resurrection has been one of the greatest stories of the 2023-24 campaign, and even if Luton fail to avoid descent, many other clubs in Cheap Premier League Football Jerseys will consider acquiring his services. He also looks as fit as ever, having played more minutes in the league this season than in the last seven, and the best years of his career may yet be ahead of him.
The prospect of adding to his 33 England caps is a major motivating factor for Barkley, whose last appearance under Southgate came in 2019. “I’m not going to lie, it’s in the back of my mind, but I know there’s a lot of competition for places in the England squad,” he added to BBC Sport. “I support myself. I believe I can bring something to the team”.
To say that there is “a lot of competition” in midfield within Southgate’s ranks at the moment is to say that there is “a lot of competition”.
Southgate is an understatement. England have more quality in the centre of midfield than any other nation in the world, with Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden among those vying for starting places.
The likes of James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher and Kalvin Phillips will also be in Southgate’s sights, but Barkley can offer England something different. He plays with real determination at Luton and has a decisive impact at both ends of the pitch, despite the limitations of the Hatters’ collective.
Being a big fish in a small pond seems to suit Barkley, but it would be fascinating to see him working alongside world-class players again. If he were able to replicate his Luton form for England, he would be a real weapon for Southgate, and perhaps the ideal man to provide Harry Kane with the service he needs to cause maximum damage in the final third.
Southgate’s favourite
The problem is that Southgate has always had his favorites and, despite a turbulent campaign that has irreparably damaged his reputation, Henderson is still one of them. It would come as no surprise if the Ajax midfielder were to start alongside Rice and Bellingham in England’s opening group game against Serbia on June 24.
Barkley could slot in ahead of everyone else, but it will be virtually impossible to dislodge Henderson, as Southgate is a risk-averse manager. He won’t sacrifice defensive discipline for more attacking penetration, as Henderson has long been his go-to man for keeping things tidy in midfield.
The abandonment of his morals and the pursuit of wealth in Saudi Arabia after leaving Cheap Liverpool soccer shirts last summer didn’t have a negative impact on Henderson’s status in England either. The 33-year-old was booed by fans during the Three Lions’ match against Australia in October, on a night when he was replacing Kane as captain, but Southgate came to his defense after the game.
“I really don’t understand,” said Southgate. “His commitment and what he has brought to England is exceptional. His role in the group, on and off the pitch, is extremely important – he’s been the one to take players like Jude Bellingham under his wing since he joined the team. He’s a role model for the whole group in terms of his professionalism and approach.”
This position guarantees that Henderson will be on the plane for the Euro, whether or not he finishes the season strongly at Ajax, whom he joined in January after realizing he had made a mistake by signing a two-year contract with Al-Ettifaq in the Middle East. He’s one of Southgate’s untouchables, as evidenced by his inclusion in the latest Three Lions squad for the March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, and he doesn’t mind standing in the way of Barkley and the other midfielders who have far more to offer in terms of real quality.
Henderson is no longer a role model
Henderson, who turns 34 the day after England kick off their European Championship campaign, has played like a man whose body is beginning to betray him this season. His final year at Liverpool was marked by signs of rust, prompting Jurgen Klopp to facilitate his departure, and his six-month spell at Al-Ettifaq was a disaster.
Despite his reunion with Steven Gerrard, Henderson never quite settled in Saudi Arabia. He scored no goals and provided no assists in his last eight appearances for Al-Ettifaq, none of which ended in victory. Henderson managed to escape during the January transfer window, terminating his contract by mutual consent before signing for Eredivisie giants Ajax, but his situation hasn’t improved much in the Netherlands.
Ajax have won just one of the six league matches Henderson has played so far, slipping to fifth in the table, and the veteran midfielder has been regularly criticized for his lack of influence. Southgate attended his debut against PSV and later admitted that it was “easier to assess someone who plays in a European league”, much to Henderson’s delight.
“It was good that he came to see me to see that he’s keeping an eye on me,” he told Dutch media last week. “It’s always a privilege for me to play for my country and I want to do it for as long as possible. I have to concentrate on my work here and if I do it well and get good results, it will give me the best chance of getting into the England squad. I think I can help the squad and the team move forward at the next training camp and, hopefully, over the summer.
Over the last eight months, there’s been no evidence that Henderson is right. Leaving aside the decline in his footballing ability, he also lost his status as a role model for young players and an advocate for the LGBT+ community after the Saudi saga.
Chelsea’s failure in the past
Barkley’s past difficulties may still be fresh in Southgate’s mind. After all, he passed up his first real chance in the top flight at Chelsea, where he admitted to “playing with the handbrake on”.
But Barkley was also a victim of bad luck in West London, as he ruptured his hamstring early on in his Chelsea career, which immediately relegated him to the lower midfield. Cesc Fabregas has seen his difficulties first-hand and is delighted to see him rediscover his passion for the game at Luton, having never doubted his qualities.
“I’m very happy for him because he lost his way a bit. He lost his confidence and now he’s back. Maybe he’s taken a couple of steps backwards so that he can once again play at the level he knows is his. We always need a player like him.
“They [Chelsea] always saw Ross as a number eight, more box-to-box. It’s true that now, as a number six, physically, he’s a machine. You have to keep the ball a bit to create something and give your team-mates air. He’s the right guy for the job and he does it very well.
Southgate doesn’t have the full picture if he’s still judging Barkley on his time at Chelsea. Today, he plays with a smile on his face and looks in top physical condition every time he takes to the field, which was never the case at Stamford Bridge.
Since taking over as England manager in 2016, Southgate has succeeded in creating a healthy club atmosphere in the dressing room, eliminating the culture of player power that proved to be the downfall of the “golden generation”. He is only the second coach to have led the Three Lions to the final of a major tournament and deserves praise for restoring the country’s confidence after decades of crushing disappointment.
But the jury is still out on whether he is the right man to take that crucial final step and finally deliver a trophy to an England team brimming with talent in every position. So far, Southgate has failed in the biggest matches, mainly due to his pragmatic approach and lack of insight into the game, with Henderson now emerging as the main symbol of his inadequacy.
France, Spain, Germany and Portugal would not include Henderson in their teams. England, who undoubtedly have greater depth, must not abuse their resources by giving him priority over players like Barkley, who excel in every respect.
