04 November 2023 , 06:45
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Ross Barkley will come up against Liverpool this weekend when the Reds travel to Luton Town.
Those from Merseyside have enjoyed mixed fortunes at Kenilworth Road - drawing on their last visit after coming back from 3-1 down to win 5-3 in an FA Cup classic that saw Xabi Alonso score from his own half. Barkley would take a goal of any type against Everton's arch-rivals this weekend.
The former Toffee came through the ranks at Goodison Park before moving on to pastures new. The Merseyside rivalry still runs deep though and Barkley achieved a career goal when he scored against Liverpool while playing for Chelsea back in 2020.
His effort at Stamford Bridge knocked Jurgen Klopp's side out of the FA Cup as the Blues ran out 2-0 winners. The midfielder declared afterwards: "Scoring against Liverpool for me is massive, supporting Everton and playing for Everton it is always a dream to score against Liverpool."
The response earned him plenty of stick from those in Red who came for him on social media. Many pointed to the fact he'd scored for Chelsea after leaving Everton as his contract winding down. He opted against extending his stay and chose to move to west London.
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It was Antonio Conte who signed him but later he played under Maurizio Sarri and Thomas Tuchel without ever fully establishing himself as a guaranteed starter. An England career began in 2013 but has since tailed off with his last Three Lions cap coming in 2019.
Ross Barkley basked in the glory of scoring against LiverpoolBarkley was handed a loan spell to Aston Villa in an effort to rediscover his best form and weeks into his switch found himself repeating the moment he once hailed as a "dream". Dean Smith's side hosted then-champions Liverpool during the lockdown season and produced one of that year's freak results.
Villa hammered the Reds 7-2 with Barkley getting in on the act. His deflected effort flew past Adrian and the midfielder reeled away in celebration. His nomadic career continued after his spell in the Midlands, which failed to yield the results he and those around him hoped. Barkley returned to Chelsea for another season of sporadic use before Nice became his third club in three years.
The French club, owned by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, took a punt on the playmaker but he failed to live up to expectations. Barkley endured some horror ratings in L'Equipe and was left out of the team's Europa League squad as his minutes dropped off.
The midfielder returned to England when he signed for Luton in the summerHe was released after just twelve months at the Allianz Riviera and found himself on the lookout for a club once more. He surprised many when he chose to head to the newly promoted side, who plenty had already tipped for relegation such is their lack of resources compared to their Premier League rivals.
Hatters boss Rob Edwards believed the former Everton man's arrival would give them an "X-factor" while Barkley himself had been inspired by their rags-to-riches story that had seen them rise from the National League to the Premier League in less than ten years.
“Why Luton? Going from the Conference to the Premier League is a great story and for me personally to be back in the Premier League, it’s great motivation," he said. “I’m still relatively young and over the last couple of years I’ve not played as much as I’d have liked.
The Hatters have enjoyed an incredible rise but are among the favourites to go down“But I’ve reserved a lot of energy and looked after myself, so it’s great to be here now as I’ve got a lot to show but I’m ready and feeling motivated."
Luton's only win this term has come at the ground Barkley once called home, albeit he was absent for the success at Everton. He's made five appearances thus far, three of those coming as a starter. He's not found the net as of yet with his last goal on English soil coming against Watford for Chelsea in May 2022.