Barry: Ross has all the ability to become a top player
Everton midfielder Gareth Barry believes that Ross Barkley is starting to show what a good player he is and believes that the England midfielder can go on to become a really top player.
Barry believes that Barkley has the ability to emulate Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard but warns that the skilful youngster has to prove that consistency over a number of years.
‘Ross has got all the ability to go on and be a really top player.
‘I think he’s a lot better coming from deeper, Ross. Probably not in the hole at the moment – it’s a tough position and he’s probably still young to be going in there, so the role he’s playing at the moment with James (McCarthy) and myself has certainly been suiting him this season.
‘He’s obviously still young so he’s still learning certain parts of the game. He’s got the manager here that’s really trying to find the right position for him to flourish. He showed in his first season how good he is, and how consistent he can be; last season was a bit up and down. It was a massive learning curve for him, so I’m not surprised this year he’s really kicked off again.’
‘Last season was a learning curve not just for Ross but the manager. He was stuck out wide sometimes, played in the hole, played deeper, so it’s tough for a young player to settle down and play to your strengths when you’re not getting a run in one position. For Ross mainly, last year was a big learning curve, and I think we’re reaping the rewards now.’
In the past Barkley has been compared to brilliant midfielder and former Everton player Paul Gascoigne, while others believe he can emulate Steven Gerard and Frank Lampard.
He said: ‘Ross has got all the potential to become as good as them. He’s got everything that they had, to match their ability, but the one thing he’s going to need is consistency: performing, scoring goals, assisting on a regular basis, and those two players (Lampard and Gerrard) did that for 10, 12 years in the Premier League, so that’s the target for Ross.’
How good can Ross Barkley become?
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