Ravel Morrison, Michael Johnson, Nick Powell, and Shaun Wright-Phillips are just a few of the up-and-coming players that have come to England throughout the years but have never quite lived up to the original expectations.
There aren’t many more thrilling sensations in the world of football fan culture than witnessing the rise of a young talent who is passionate about playing for the badge. The excitement naturally rises, but there’s always a danger that it will all go south.
Ross Barkley, a centre midfielder, did not experience that, but it’s fair to say that the once-promising wonderkid failed to live up to expectations after graduating from Everton’s renowned academy, which had produced none other than Wayne Rooney.
Born in Liverpool Barkley’s career has been nothing short of turbulent, with highs and lows at every turn, interspersed with occasional compliments from former Everton manager Roberto Martinez. What happened to the central midfielder who was supposedly a rising star?
Barkley was predicted by Martinez to become a Three Lions royalty.
But the midfielder only has 33 England caps.
His Everton manager was the one who most strongly supported him, and he was predicted to be excellent from the start. According to an ESPN story, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City were all interested in signing him. He finally joined the latter, of course.
Barkley, a youthful, hungry midfield player who was practically unstoppable when playing at his best, was an exciting prospect on the international scene. His athletic explosiveness and sheer talent allowed him to easily shrug off opponents.
Technically sound as well, he made his Three Lions debut in September 2013 at the young age of 19 under Roy Hodgson. He even saw some action in the 2014 World Cup before missing out on Euro 2016. His final game for his country was a 6-0 victory against Bulgaria in late 2019, when things started to look dismal.
Nevertheless, there was a certain person in his life—the former Toffees manager Martinez—who thought he would get to the pinnacle of English legend and be regarded with some of the greatest, like Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Bobby Moore.
Speaking at a fans’ gala night at Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel, Martinez was very complimentary of Barkley and startled supporters by implying that he would overtake Sir Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney as England’s best player of all time.
He will undoubtedly be the greatest player England has ever had, in my opinion. Ross has it all. A player typically possesses the speed and strength to move quickly around the field or the vision to pick a throw. In addition to being passionate about the game, Ross is capable of doing both of those things.
Martinez, who has been leading the Portugal national team since January 2023, stated: “He will be the greatest asset Everton has ever had, and all he wants to do is play football.” I believe you need to be able to handle the fact that players are significant assets.
The Merseyside-based team had “no desire” to trade their valuable asset, according to then-boss Martinez, who also said that Goodison Park, which is considered to be one of the greatest stadiums in Premier League history, was the optimum location for his growth.
In 2013, Gary Lineker added his own words of praise. Ross Barkley has the makings of a star. “England have a real player,” the striker-turned-pundit tweeted on X (previously Twitter) after describing his extraordinary talent.
Ross Barkley is a star in the making. Prodigious talent. England have a real player.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 22, 2013
In the six years between his 2013 debut and his 2019 final appearance, the 1993-born star amassed 33 caps on the international scene and found it difficult to make an impression under a number of different managers. Maybe a tale of what may have been.
Barkley’s Promised Career Unfulfilled
He is currently 32 years old and works for Aston Villa under Unai Emery.
Barkley established himself with his boyhood club, Everton, while simultaneously realising his aspirations. He joined the academy in 2005 and advanced through the ranks before being given the opportunity to participate in senior proceedings in 2011. Breaking his duck was quick and easy.
The midfielder played 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers at home in August 2011, but it appeared that Everton had discovered a star regardless of the outcome. He was sent out on loan to Sheffield Wednesday in 2012.
In the second half of the 2012–13 season, he had another loan stint with Leeds United’s Elland Road until Chelsea, who ultimately defeated intense competition for his signing, made a deal. However, he hardly played any games in London.
Ross Barkley’s Professional Background
Club
Games
Objectives
Helps
Red/Yellow Cards
Everton
179
27
25
19/0
Chelsea
One hundred
Twelve
11.
5/0
Villa Aston
47
7.
2.
4/0
Town of Luton
37
5.
6.
6/0
Nice OGC
28
4.
2.
1/0
Wednesday in Sheffield
13.
4.
0
2/0
Leeds United
4.
0
One
0/0
Many supporters were caught off guard by Barkley’s loan move from Chelsea to Aston Villa in September 2020, when his playing career took a turn for the worst following the initial promise. However, in the summer of 2021, he returned to west London, somewhat at a crossroads in his career.
A departure was always inevitable given the choices open to the Chelsea custodian, who at the time was Frank Lampard. However, in August 2022, he found himself without a club, and a month later, Nice, a French team, took advantage of his free agency.
Barkley, who hails from the southeast coast of France, went home to play for Rob Edwards’ Luton Town in 2023. Because of his accomplishments, he was widely regarded as one of the best Premier League acquisitions of the summer.
Because of his performance, Unai Emery became interested in the Englishman and signed him. However, he only plays a bit-part role at Villa Park when he is available, which is unfortunate considering how sought-after he was in his early career.
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