Ross Barkley‘s renaissance with Luton is immensely satisfying to see. It is not only the passes he is pinging left and right from the centre of the park, the devastating runs he is making through elite Premier League midfields, or the way he is relentlessly looking to regain possession for his team.
It is the fact we are seeing a footballer who is finally fulfilling his potential, playing at the peak of his powers and with a swagger we have rarely seen since he was a teenager.
It was in August 2011 when Barkley debuted for Everton at the age of 17 and, at that time, I predicted he would go on to become one of England’s greatest midfielders. Such was the natural talent that went with his physical attributes, this fearless kid who grew up idolising Zinedine Zidane looked like he had the world at his feet.
His £15million move to Chelsea at 24 was supposed to propel his career to the next level. He played 100 games for them and continued to add to his caps for England, but was ultimately unable to showcase his special skillset and reach the level expected of him.
His former Everton manager Roberto Martinez described him as misunderstood and under-appreciated, insisting this player of imagination and industry was restricted from showing his full repertoire in these crucial years of his career.
Ross Barkley has helped to lift Luton Town with his excellent performances this season
Barkley will hope that his form will enable him to add to his 33 caps for England
The 30-year-old has shown this season that he is hungry to impress for Luton
When his contract with Chelsea was terminated, it seemed as if the Premier League had turned its back on him, discarded as he departed for Nice in France. But now here he is, 30 years old and with talent pouring out of him like never before.
Credit must go to Luton for giving him this lifeline. He was available on a free transfer but it was manager Rob Edwards who took a chance when others would not. If Barkley can help Luton survive this season, he will go down as one of the greatest value-for-money signings ever made in the Premier League, the ultimate steal in a game renowned for spending vast sums to secure talents such as this.
It is ironic that Chelsea, Luton’s opponents on Saturday, spent more than £200m on their midfield in the summer and yet it is Barkley who will be the most in-form man in the middle when they meet at Kenilworth Road.
Under-pressure Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino will be concerned about the damage he could do and Conor Gallagher, the visitors’ most consistent performer, will be a man on a mission to stop him mounting Luton attacks.
Spending last season with Nice was key to Barkley rediscovering his spark. Ligue 1 is stacked with quality but is played at a slower pace. He was allowed more time on the ball and that helped bring back the belief in his ability, so much so that he felt prepared to return to the all-action Premier League.
Luton are getting the best out of Barkley because Edwards is giving him the freedom to play his football when they are in possession, minus the handbrake that held him back at Chelsea.
In his four years on the books at Stamford Bridge, just 18.4 per cent of his passes were played forward. It is now 31.8 per cent for Luton, a sure sign of his renewed freedom on the ball.
The intelligence in his decision-making has impressed me, particularly under pressure. His passing has been perfect in tight situations as he finds solutions. Barkley is picking up possession deep in his own half, shrugging off challenges and, with the benefit of being two footed, feeding the wing-backs to spark attacks.
If Barkley continues to perform this well he will be hard for Gareth Southgate to ignore
Luton manager Rob Edwards took a chance on Edwards when others would not
Chelsea have spent heavily on their midfield but don’t have a player as in-form as Barkley
Spending last season with Nice was hugely important as Barkley rediscovered his spark
That was precisely how Luton scored their opening goal against Manchester City, when he spun away from Bernardo Silva and Julian Alvarez and powered past the Premier League’s best defensive midfielder Rodri before playing a forward pass to Alfie Doughty.
Against Arsenal, Martin Odegaard jokingly asked him to ‘stop running at me with the ball’ because his dribbling was posing so many problems. Newcastle’s midfield could not handle him at all. He was running through them as if they weren’t there and they were frightened of his ability to shoot from distance using his left or right foot.
Barkley is going toe-to-toe with the best in the business, and it is worth remembering this is in a team averaging the Premier League’s lowest possession rate at 35.7 per cent. He is having a positive influence when his team does have the ball.
Looking towards Euro 2024, England already have a midfield with young talents such as Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Gallagher and now Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Gareth Southgate likes to call on the experience of Jordan Henderson, despite him now playing in the Saudi Pro League, but England’s manager will be more concerned by the continued absence of Kalvin Phillips for Manchester City.
As a young player, Barkley was picked for his potential. Now that he is fulfilling his promise, the door may open for him once again, as he is arguably playing better now than when he was previously picked for England. Southgate will be watching him closely and if he can continue to maintain this form, he could prove too good to ignore.
Saturday will be Barkley’s 10th Premier League start in a row. Not since the 2016-17 season with Everton has he managed a longer run, with big injuries such as a broken leg and a ruptured hamstring occurring at key moments of his career. His form has been infectious for Luton. The fact he is reaching another level is lifting others too.
As well as Barkley, Luton took a chance on Andros Townsend. The last time I spoke to Townsend was when he was appearing on Match of the Day at the start of this season. He was in a similar situation to Barkley, feeling as if the football world had turned its back on him as he was without a club.
Andros Townsend has brought a wealth of experience with him to Luton this season
Luton boss Edwards deserves praise for giving Albert Sambi Lokonga a chance to shine
I sensed a burning ambition inside of him to prove his worth in the Premier League. He had completed pre-season training with Burnley but they did not take a chance on him. Luton did and he brought with him a wealth of experience at this level.
Again, this was smart business and sound judgement from Edwards, much like his decision to give Albert Sambi Lokonga a chance to shine. In the two games the former Arsenal midfielder has started since returning from a hamstring injury, Luton have won both, beating Newcastle and Sheffield United.
It is no coincidence that the Premier League know-how brought to the team by Barkley, Townsend and Lokonga is giving Luton a fighting chance of securing their status.
Secrecy surrounds the length of Barkley’s contract with Luton. Neither the club nor the player’s representatives will reveal whether it extends beyond this season.
The fear for Luton is they might lose him to one of the Premier League’s big boys, but they cannot worry about speculation. Luton and Barkley just need to enjoy this moment together.
Saturday has the potential to be a very sweet day for Barkley as he looks to take centre stage against his old club Chelsea and add another three vital points to Luton’s push for Premier League survival.
