Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley has enjoyed a blistering start to the new Premier League season and it seems his new-found maturity could be behind his improved form.
Having joined the Blues in January, Barkley struggled to make an impact through much of the second-half of last season but is now one of Maurizio Sarri’s key midfielders, as his crucial goal against Manchester United on Saturday shows.
And you only have to look at the former Everton man to realise how much he’s grown up of late, with his arms noticeably bare and missing his tattoos.
Ross Barkley has scored in successive PL appearances for the 1st time in almost 3 years, since for Everton v Aston Villa & Bournemouth in Nov 2015 pic.twitter.com/yFaupl4qBG
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) October 20, 2018
The 24-year-old had his arms covered in sleeve tattoos from a very young age, but it seems he’s determined to reinvent himself on and off the pitch, as he explained in an interview with the Times.
He said: “I got them at a young age and sometimes when you are young you do stupid things and not think about it.
“But I went into it too quick and over the years I felt I wanted to get them removed, so I went through the process in the last couple of years.
“My first tattoo was when I was 14. I was a bit young, like. I was a big lad so they didn’t question my age at the time. I started getting them removed a couple of years ago.
“I would never rule out getting another, maybe when I have kids I might have something done to go with that. I don’t know.”
Are you impressed by Barkley’s ability to be so self critical, and just how important could he be for Chelsea this season?
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