Martinez believes that Barkley is the perfect role model
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has gone on record to say how good Ross Barkley is and how it’s his mentality that will take him far in the game.
With many British youngsters wanting to enjoy the things the money brings such as the nightclubs, the drinking and the girls, Barkley is focussed on his career and improving his game.
Martinez has commented before how Barkley is often the first on the training pitch and the last one off it and he believes that for someone so young, he is a rare breed that should be taken seriously for a World Cup place.
‘What impresses me is the mentality,’ says Martinez. ‘You can talk about talent, about physicality. He has the physical elements of the British game. The intensity and the power. But Ross also has the touch of someone brought up in a different culture.
‘You’ve got a cool character; such an emotionally stable character. And that is what sets him apart.
‘Whether he is playing for England at Wembley, or the opening game of the season against Norwich, or a friendly behind closed doors, his approach will be the same.
‘And it’s the same after someone has kicked him or he has made a good pass. Only the top guys are like this.
‘Nothing fazes Ross. That temperament, I’m not sure we’ve seen that too often over the years.
‘For some reason, the English talent is often the naughty boy. It’s a short fuse, or he gets into some kind of trouble. Drinking, smoking.
‘Ross is the opposite. I think partly because he had a big injury at 17 (he broke his leg in three places). All of a sudden something took it all away from him. He realised what he could lose. But home is good too. He’s well-grounded. His mum is a great influence. He’s one in a million.’
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