Ross Barkley leads a wasted generation of England talent in worrying signs for the country
Playmaker snubbed talent factory Tottenham in favour of Chelsea, giving a clue as to the priorities of the player and his advisors
ROSS BARKLEY had a choice between Chelsea and Tottenham this month.
That he snubbed Spurs, who have been the making of so many young English players, and opted for Chelsea — where they are often paid handsomely to disappear, tells you about the priorities of the player and his advisors.
Before Barkley’s emergence, another physically impressive and technically gifted young Evertonian — Jack Rodwell — broke into the England team.
Sunderland are now trying to rip up Rodwell’s £3.5million-per-year contract because he cannot get into the worst team in the Championship.
When Rodwell left Everton at 21, he was regarded as a commanding England midfield anchor man of the future.
After joining Manchester City, he swiftly faded from view and was a former Three Lions player by his 23rd birthday.
Rodwell’s descent has been steeper than most but he is no rarity as a talented English player who made the wrong career choices and ended up as a wealthy bench-warmer.
In the aftermath of the last World Cup you might have looked forward optimistically, imagining this well-balanced front six — at the peak of their careers age-wise — starting England’s first game in Russia: Rodwell (26), Jack Wilshere (26), Theo Walcott (28), Barkley (24), Oxlade-Chamberlain (24) and Daniel Sturridge (28).
WOUNDED PRIDE England boss Gareth Southgate admits some of his squad do not deserved to be picked
And yet Gareth Southgate doesn’t intend to select any of them in his squad.
All six were early examples of millionaire teenage players and all have gone backwards since 2014 in an environment more competitive than ever.
They have had injury setbacks — but can any one of them honestly say they have made the most of their potential?
Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott stayed too long in the Arsenal comfort zone, where players no longer develop.
All three enjoyed stellar moments for England as kids — the Ox scoring a belter in the Maracana, Walcott’s hat-trick in Croatia and Wilshere as man of the match against Brazil at Wembley in 2013.
Yet Southgate doesn’t believe they have matured into players worthy of a World Cup place despite their abundant talent.
On Sunday, Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain produced moments which might have jolted England’s manager.
The Ox darted at Manchester City’s defence and conjured a thumping finish which was the beginning of the end for Pep Guardiola’s unbeaten Premier League campaign.
He is still young enough to reinvent himself as a central midfielder at Liverpool — and live up to predictions from some at Arsenal that the club will live to regret his £35m sale.
COSTA REEKS
SO England have arranged a friendly with Costa Rica because they come from the same part of the globe as World Cup group rivals Panama, so must therefore play like them.
Not to mention agreeing to play Nigeria as they’re from the same continent as Tunisia. But when you consider this age-old practice . . .
A) Is geographical stereotyping still the done thing?
B) It’s not exactly giving the public what they want, is it?
C) It’s not really worked well in the past, has it?
Yet the day after his move, Southgate stated bluntly that he doesn’t see Oxlade-Chamberlain as a central midfielder, with a dreadful display against Lithuania last year apparently a filthy mark against his name.
Southgate’s take on Wilshere is more surprising, especially to anyone who watched him illuminate a dismal Arsenal performance at Bournemouth.
At one point, Wilshere — surrounded by six opponents — produced a feint, swivel and pass to start an Arsenal attack.
You wondered how Southgate, a beggar when it comes to central-midfield talent, can be choosy enough to ignore him?
Speaking for Roy Hodgson’s regime, Gary Neville said a fit Wilshere is England’s ‘Best midfielder by a street’.
While Hodgson swore by Wilshere and selected him for Euro 2016 when he was not fully fit, Southgate is sceptical about his mobility — even if he proves his fitness. Perhaps when Wilshere’s contract expires this summer, he should follow Walcott in leaving Arsenal.
Walcott, the oldest of England’s lost boys, has left it late to escape to Everton and his union with Sam Allardyce is curious.
Allardyce generally knows his own mind.
Yet Walcott is 28 and nobody even knows what he is yet.
A REAL WORRY
IN case you missed it, Real Madrid really are very bad this season.
Historically bad. Almost Arsenal bad.
Saturday’s home defeat by Villarreal leaves them clinging on to fourth place in Spain’s supposed two-horse race — with centre-forward Karim Benzema being off-loaded after only two league goals this season.
If your club have an outstanding young manager who speaks Spanish and a long-term enmity with Barcelona, then feel worried.
If your club has the hottest young centre- forward in the world, then also feel worried.
Yes, that’s you Tottenham. And you, Tottenham.
Taken to Germany as a 17-year-old in 2006, Walcott now looks destined never to play at a World Cup, unless this move — a gamble on both sides — works out.
Sturridge, reckoned by many to be a more natural finisher than Harry Kane, is now seeking a move from Anfield and Southgate will welcome his bid for regular football. Yet again, it all feels too late.
In fact, when you study the progress of English players over the past five years, they tend to fall into two categories — those who’ve played for Mauricio Pochettino have progressed, while those who haven’t have regressed.
As Barkley’s agent must have failed to mention.
EITHER Antonio Conte or Marina Granovskaia — Roman Abramovich’s transfer fixer — thinks Andy Carroll would be a good Chelsea signing.
No wonder there’s so little chance of those two carrying on working together next season. One of them must think the other is stark-raving bonkers.
IT probably won’t be shortlisted for goal of the month, let alone the season, but my favourite goal of 2017-18 so far was Roberto Firmino’s for Liverpool in their win over Manchester City.
A muscular shoulder-to-shoulder challenge followed by an exquisitely delicate chipped finish. Why choose between finesse and power when you can have both?