There has always been a special aura about Ross Barkley, right from the moment he was handed his full senior debut at Everton as a fresh-faced 17-year-old. On that occasion in August 2011, QPR left Goodison Park with a 1-0 victory, but Barkley grabbed the headlines as the standout performer on the pitch after being trusted to start ahead of Mikel Arteta and Marouane Fellaini.
Comparisons with Toffees cult hero Wayne Rooney inevitably followed, while former England and Arsenal defender Martin Keown predicted he would go on to become "one of the best players we'll ever see in this country". For a while, Barkley looked on track to live up to that billing, as he became a vital cog at Everton and a regular for the Three Lions, notably playing in all three group games at the 2014 World Cup.
Four years later, he secured a £15 million ($19m) transfer to Chelsea, which should have been the ideal place for him to reach the next level. Alas, it didn't work out, and he left the club as a free agent in 2022 with just 100 appearances in all competitions to his name.
It appeared that Barkley would never fulfil his potential, especially after an underwhelming spell at Nice last season, but Luton Town offered him a fresh start after gaining promotion to the Premier League, and the gamble has paid off. The Hatters have real hope of staving off immediate relegation with 10 games of the campaign to go, and much of the credit must go to Barkley, who has sparked talk of an England recall with his dazzling performances.
Unfortunately, his path is likely to be blocked by a certain former Liverpool midfielder who is way past his best. That's right, Jordan Henderson remains one of the first names on Gareth Southgate's list, and England fans could be in for another summer of pain as a result, with Barkley's heroics at Kenilworth Road destined to go unrewarded.