As neutral onlookers (honest!) one for the most disappointing aspects of this season has been the loss of Ross Barkley. It was an absolute crime that he didn’t play a more central role in The World Cup – even at 20 he was far better than most of his England peers.
We really shared his frustration at not getting more game time in Brazil and couldn’t wait for him to unleash that energy onto The Premier League. Not least because, at the age of 20, we truly felt that Barkley’s time had come.
He was no longer a promising teenager. He was ready to take The Premier League by storm. Call us overly optimistic but he was our dark horse for Player of The Season. That’s how highly we rate him.
So, having recovered ahead of schedule from the knee ligament injury he suffered on the eve of the new season, it’s fantastic to hear Roberto Martinez confirm that the lad will be back training with the senior squad from Monday. The Daily Mail quotes the Everton boss as saying:
‘On Monday we expect Ross, with the green light from the medical department, to join the group.
‘Now it’s a matter of getting him match fit and getting him up to speed. Ross has been working really well and I don’t expect any setbacks. I expect Ross to have a real clear path to get his match fitness back.
‘From Monday I want him to be part of it and in probably a couple of weeks we should be able to see Ross in the squad.
‘His desire and hunger to be in the team is contagious, and that is something I want to have with the group. He’ll be like a fresh, new player for us.’
Everton are playing well but that hasn’t been reflected so far in their points tally. You do feel that the return of Barkley will help to reinvigorate and kickstart an Everton side which has also suffered the crucial losses of John Stones, James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman.
We just can’t wait to see this future worldie back on the field of play. Because there is still ample time for him to become one of the main men in The Premier League this season.
Everton fans: Can Barkley become the best player in The Premier League?
