Marcos Alonso has backed his Chelsea teammate Ross Barkley to become a dynamic force for the England national team in midfield.
Alonso and Barkley came up against each other in a UEFA Nations League encounter last month. The Three Lions secured an impressive 3-2 victory away from home against Alonso’s Spain, and Barkley was instrumental in creating England’s third goal, scored by Raheem Sterling.
Gareth Southgate’s side effectively won the game during the first half as they went into the break with a 3-0 advantage through a brace from Sterling and a goal from Marcus Rashford.
Spain did improve considerably during the second half and found the back of the net through Paco Alcacer and Sergio Ramos, but they could not do enough to prevent defeat.
Since the retirement of both Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard from international football in 2014, England have arguably lacked dynamism in midfield. Southgate’s charges may have reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup but they do need to improve their midfield in particular if they wish to challenge at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.
Could Barkley be the answer to the problems?
He has been promising for Chelsea so far this season, who have so far managed to exceed pre-season expectations and find themselves amongst the favourites for Premier League glory with netbet.co.uk. If he can keep his confidence high, work hard in training and remain level-headed, he could well turn out to be.
Barkley is a terrific player on his day but does need to improve his consistency if he wishes to become a first-team regular for England. He missed out on England’s World Cup squad after a mixed run of form for Chelsea during the second half of last season.
However, Alonso now believes that his club teammate has what it takes to become a key player within Southgate’s side.
As reported by dailystar.co.uk, the Spaniard said: “Yes, last year he had a long time out injured, in the first year with us at Chelsea.
“I have no doubt that with confidence and minutes he is a great player and I hope that he can help us a lot for the rest of the season.
“Even at the World Cup England, despite playing well, were aware that they didn’t really have that kind of player. Someone in the middle who played and made others play, who used the ball.
“So yes, he could be. He’s a great player. He showed it not just against us but against Croatia too. He showed that he can be a great player. I hope he keeps improving and that he helps us at Chelsea to stay near the top.”
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