Forget Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips – stats show Ross Barkley is the man for England at Euro 2024
If the England squad was picked on form, then Ross Barkley would be the first name Gareth Southgate called.
Heading into the weekend's Premier League action, Barkley tops the WhoScored.com form rankings with a rating of 8.18 out of 10. Get him on the plane Gareth!
While they couldn't hold out for all the spoils in their topsy-turvy 4-4 draw at Newcastle, an upturn in form means Luton are currently keeping their heads above water.
The Hatters have claimed a result in five of their last six matches and have a game in hand on sides around them in the table.
Few gave Luton are chance of beating off the drop, and yet as we approach the business end of the campaign, Rob Edwards' side are showing the necessary form to consolidate their Premier League spot.
And Barkley has been at the heart of Luton's sudden rise away from the relegation zone.
He's earned a WhoScored.com rating of 7.20 this season, far better than any other player for the Premier League debutants as he ranks third for goals (3), third for assists (3), second for key passes (27) and second for dribbles (35).
Whatever Edwards is saying to Barkley, he needs to keep it up.
Having initially relied upon wing-back Alfie Doughty to shoulder the attacking threat down the left, Barkley settling in means there is now greater flexibility in the way Luton look to hurt opponents.
The free signing is able to drive the team forward impressively once they have sat deep and soaked up pressure to spring rapid counter attacks through the middle of the park.
Luton rank second bottom for possession (38.3 per cent) in England's top tier this term meaning they need a player who is comfortable carrying the ball forward to transition quickly from defence to attack, with Barkley fitting the bill.
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