Ross Barkley has long been considered the next big attacking talent to emerge out of England. The former Everton manager, Roberto Martinez, has called him a blend of Michael Ballack and Paul Gascoigne. The English legend has claimed that Barkley reminds him of young Wayne Rooney, England and Manchester United‘s leading goalscorer. After having burst on the scene with Everton, his progress was stalled by a couple of injuries and his contract battle with Everton which eventually led to his transfer to Chelsea. At Chelsea, he finally managed to find his feet under the guidance of Sarri.
Sun Sign
Sagittarius
Education
Ross Barkley has honed his skills and learned his game at the youth academy of Everton FC.
Manager
Ross Barkley is represented by Wasserman Media Group.
Position
Attacking Midfielder, Midfielder
Shirt Number
32, 20 – Everton FC
24 – Sheffield Wednesday
8 – Chelsea FC, England National team
18, 21, 20, 15, 19 – England National team
Girlfriend / Spouse
Ross Barkley has dated –
- Zoe Riozzi (2015-Present) – In 2015, Barkley started going out with Zoe Riozzi, a nursery school worker. They grew up in the same neighborhood and had known each other for quite a long time before they actually started going out.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Stocky appearance
Brand Endorsements
Ross Barkley has signed a personal endorsement deal with Nike which requires him to wear Nike footwear for his professional matches.
Best Known For
His strong performances for the English club, Everton FC. He had played in the English Top Flight for the club for 6 seasons and made 150 appearances. He also managed to establish himself as one of the finest young talents during his stay with the club.
First Soccer Match
In August 2011, he made his professional debut with Everton in a Premier League match against Queens Park Rangers. Although his side lost the match by 1-0, he was declared man of the match by Radio City Sport.
In January 2018, Barkley made his debut for Chelsea in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against Arsenal. He was sent in for in the first half itself after the Brazilian had got injured. The match ended in a 2-1 loss for his side.
In September 2013, he made his first international appearance for the England national team in a World Cup qualifier match against Moldova. He came in for in the match that ended in a 4-0 win for the English side.
Personal Trainer
Ross Barkley spends a lot of time with his strength and conditioning coach as he aims to strengthen his body and get away from the regular injuries that have plagued him in recent years. He also indulges in running to improve his stamina and endurance. Plus, he reserves some time for ball work as well in a bid to improve his technical ability.
Strengths
- Pace
- Power
- Technical ability
- Passing
- Surging runs from the midfield
- Long shots
Weaknesses
- Injury prone
- Sometimes lacks consistency
Ross Barkley Facts
- He joined the youth academy of Everton at the age of 11.
- He was all set to make his professional debut early in the 2010-11 season but he suffered a leg fracture after colliding with Liverpool‘s Andre Wisdom during an England under-19 match in October.
- He managed to recover from the fracture by the start of the pre-season training in 2011. He managed to impress Everton senior team players in the pre-season with club legend Tim Cahill calling Barkley the most talented footballer he had ever trained with.
- In December 2011, he signed a new contract with Everton and extended his stay at the club until 2016.
- In August 2013, he scored his first professional goal for Everton in the opening day match against Norwich City. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
- In December 2013, he helped Everton defeat Swansea City by scoring a winner in a 2-1 win. His stunning free-kick led to his comparison with the Manchester United star, .
- The 2013-14 season proved to be his breakthrough season as he made 34 league appearances and scored 6 goals. He also helped his side secure a 5th-place finish in the league.
- In July 2014, he signed a 4-year contract extension with Everton. However, he couldn’t make a strong start to the season as he suffered a medial collateral ligament injury and couldn’t play until mid-October.
- In May 2017, he was given a warning by Everton manager Ronald Koeman to sign the contract extension or risk being sold by the club in the summer transfer window. In July, Koeman told the press that Barkley had informed him that he was going to leave the club.
- However, the club failed to sell him in the summer transfer window because of his hamstring injury. It was also claimed that he had intentionally avoided the transfer so that he could join the new club on the free in the following summer and get a hefty signing-on fee.
- In January 2018, Everton sold him to Chelsea with the London based club paying the transfer fee of £15 million. Barkley signed a 5 and a half years long contract with his new club.
- Just after his transfer to Chelsea, the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, referred Barkley’s transfer to Merseyside Police after it was revealed that his agency had pocketed £7 million from the move. The police didn’t find any evidence of fraud.
- In October 2018, he scored his first professional goal for Chelsea in their 3-0 win over Southampton in a Premier League away match.
- He gave a proof of his renaissance under Maurizio Sarri’s tutelage at Chelsea by scoring an injury-time equalizer against Manchester United in October 2018.
- Follow Ross Barkley on .
Featured Image by Chensiyuan / Eige arbeid / CC BY-SA 4.0
Facts of Ross Barkley
- Gender Male
- full nameRoss Barkley
- nicknamesRoss
- birthplaceLiverpool, England, United Kingdom
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundMultiracial
- nationalityNigerian
- net worth$7 million
- professionProfessional Soccer Player
- weight86 kg or 189.5 lbs
- height6 ft 1 in or 185.5 cm
- hair colorDark Brown
- eye colorGreen
- body type / buildAthletic
- motherDiane Barkley
- fatherPeter Effange