History of Ross Barkley in Timeline

Ross Barkley is an English professional footballer known for his role as a midfielder. He currently plays for Premier League club Aston Villa. Barkley is recognized for his technical skill, dribbling ability, and powerful shots. He has also represented the England national team at various levels. His career has included stints at Everton, Chelsea and loan spells at clubs like Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United. While his career has shown promise, consistency has been a recurring theme in discussions surrounding his potential.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

December 1993: Ross Barkley's Birth and Family Background

In December 1993, Ross Barkley was born in Liverpool, Merseyside. He is of Nigerian descent through his paternal grandfather and uses his mother's maiden name.

December 1993: Ross Barkley's Birth

In December 1993, Ross Barkley, an English professional footballer, was born.

2009: Barkley Selected for Montaigu Tournament

In 2009, Ross Barkley was selected to play in the Montaigu Tournament and captained the team to success.

October 2010: Barkley's Leg Injury

In October 2010, Ross Barkley broke his leg during an England under-19 match after colliding with Liverpool's Andre Wisdom, delaying his expected Premier League debut.

2010: Barkley Begins Professional Career

In 2010, Ross Barkley began his professional career at Everton.

2010: England Wins UEFA European Under-17 Championship

In 2010, Ross Barkley helped England win the UEFA European Under-17 Championship, contributing with two goals en route to the final.

August 2011: Barkley Called Up to England U-21 Squad

In August 2011, Ross Barkley, at age 19, was called up to the England U-21 squad.

December 2011: Barkley Signs New Contract with Everton

In December 2011, Ross Barkley signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Everton.

September 2012: Barkley Joins Sheffield Wednesday on Loan

In September 2012, Ross Barkley joined Sheffield Wednesday on a one-month loan, debuting the same day and later scoring his first goal for the club.

January 2013: Barkley Loaned to Leeds United

In January 2013, Ross Barkley was loaned to Leeds United for an initial one-month period, and debuted in a derby match against Barnsley.

May 2013: Barkley Named in Squad for FIFA U-20 World Cup

In May 2013, Ross Barkley was named in England's squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

August 2013: Barkley Scores First Goal for England Under-21s

In August 2013, Ross Barkley scored his first goal for the England under-21s in a match against Scotland.

August 2013: Barkley Called Up to Senior England Squad

In August 2013, Ross Barkley was called up to the senior England squad.

2013: Barkley Compared to Gascoigne and Ballack

In 2013, Everton manager Roberto Martínez described Ross Barkley as a mix of Paul Gascoigne and Michael Ballack, while England manager Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard drew comparisons to Paul Gascoigne and a young Wayne Rooney, respectively.

2013: Barkley's England National Team Debut

In 2013, Ross Barkley made his debut for the England national team.

2013: Barkley Re-Joins Everton First Team

In 2013, Ross Barkley rejoined the Everton first team and scored his first goal for the club on the opening day of the season against Norwich City. He delivered several man-of-the-match performances and received praise from pundits.

January 2014: Barkley Scores First FA Cup Goal

In January 2014, Ross Barkley scored his first FA Cup goal in a 4-0 win over Queens Park Rangers.

April 2014: Barkley Nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year

On 18 April 2014, Ross Barkley was named as one of the six players on the shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

July 2014: Barkley Signs New Contract with Everton

In July 2014, Ross Barkley signed a new contract with Everton, extending his stay until 2018.

October 2014: Barkley Returns From Injury

In October 2014, Ross Barkley returned to play after recovering from a medial collateral ligament injury he sustained before the start of the 2014-15 season.

2014: Barkley Plays at 2014 FIFA World Cup

In 2014, Ross Barkley played at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

September 2015: Barkley Scores First Goal for Senior England Team

In September 2015, Ross Barkley scored his first goal for the senior England team in a match against San Marino.

2015: Barkley Starts the Season with Goals

In 2015, Ross Barkley began the 2015-16 season by scoring in Everton's first two league matches.

2016: Barkley Scores First Goal of the Season

In 2016, Ross Barkley scored Everton's first goal of the 2016-17 season in a draw against Tottenham Hotspur.

2016: Barkley Named in England Squad for UEFA Euro 2016

In 2016, Ross Barkley was named in the England squad for UEFA Euro.

2016: Barkley Selected for UEFA Euro 2016

In 2016, Ross Barkley was selected for UEFA Euro as part of England's squad.

April 2017: Attack in Liverpool Nightclub

In April 2017, Ross Barkley was the victim of an "unprovoked attack" in a Liverpool nightclub, where he was punched twice in the face. Following this, Kelvin MacKenzie compared Barkley to "a gorilla in the zoo" in The Sun newspaper, which led to a police investigation into a potential racial hate crime. The Sun apologized, and both Everton and Liverpool banned Sun journalists from their facilities.

May 2017: Koeman Issues Ultimatum to Barkley

In May 2017, Everton manager Ronald Koeman issued an ultimatum to Ross Barkley, indicating he would be sold if he didn't sign a new contract.

January 2018: Barkley Joins Chelsea

In January 2018, Ross Barkley joined Chelsea for a fee of £15 million, signing a five-and-a-half-year contract.

2018: Barkley's Chelsea Debut and FA Cup Final Appearance

In 2018, Ross Barkley made his Chelsea debut in a match against Arsenal and was an unused substitute in Chelsea's FA Cup final win against Manchester United.

2018: Barkley Signs for Chelsea and Wins FA Cup

In 2018, Ross Barkley signed for Chelsea and won the FA Cup.

2018: Contract End Date

In July 2014, Ross Barkley signed a new contract with Everton, extending his stay until 2018.

February 2019: Barkley Scores First European Goal for Chelsea

In February 2019, Ross Barkley scored his first European goal for Chelsea in a Europa League match against Malmö, and scored again in the second leg.

May 2019: Barkley Appears in UEFA Europa League Final

In May 2019, Ross Barkley played as a substitute in Chelsea's victory over Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League final.

September 2019: Barkley Misses Penalty Against Valencia

In September 2019, Ross Barkley missed a penalty in a Champions League game against Valencia, sparking controversy over the penalty-taking decision. He also scored against Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup.

September 2019: Altercation with Taxi Driver

In September 2019, Ross Barkley was involved in an altercation with a taxi driver after dropping chips in their car. Police escorted a drunken Barkley to an ATM to pay for the taxi. Chelsea manager Frank Lampard stated that Barkley had acted in a naïve way, but would not be punished, although Barkley was later made to watch a Champions League game from the club coach as punishment for being out the night before.

November 2019: Barkley's Nightclub Incident and Squad Exclusion

In November 2019, Ross Barkley was left out of Chelsea's squad after being pictured topless in a nightclub, leading to criticism from manager Frank Lampard.

2019: Barkley's Last Appearance for England

In 2019, Ross Barkley last appeared for England, having earned 33 caps.

2019: Chelsea Wins UEFA Europa League

In 2019, Ross Barkley won the UEFA Europa League with Chelsea.

September 2020: Barkley Scores Against Barnsley

In September 2020, Ross Barkley scored in Chelsea's 6-0 win against Barnsley in the EFL Cup.

September 2020: Barkley Joins Aston Villa on Loan

In September 2020, Ross Barkley, aged 26, joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan.

October 2020: Barkley Debuts and Scores for Aston Villa

In October 2020, Ross Barkley debuted for Aston Villa, scoring in a 7-2 victory over Liverpool, and followed it up with a late winner against Leicester City.

September 2021: Barkley Returns to Chelsea

In September 2021, Ross Barkley played his first match since his return to Chelsea in a 2021-22 EFL Cup third-round match against Aston Villa, coming on as a substitute.

2021: Chelsea Wins FIFA Club World Cup

In 2021, Ross Barkley won the FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea.

August 2022: Barkley Leaves Chelsea by Mutual Consent

In August 2022, Ross Barkley left Chelsea by mutual consent.

September 2022: Barkley Signs for Nice

In September 2022, Ross Barkley signed for Ligue 1 club Nice.

June 2023: Barkley Leaves Nice

In June 2023, it was announced that Ross Barkley would be leaving Nice after making 28 appearances.

August 2023: Barkley Joins Luton Town

In August 2023, Ross Barkley joined newly promoted Premier League club Luton Town on a free transfer and debuted in a match against Chelsea.

2023: Named Luton Town Player of the Season

Despite relegation, in 2023, Ross Barkley was named Luton Town Player of the Season for the 2023–24 season.

July 2024: Barkley Returns to Aston Villa

On 1 July 2024, Aston Villa announced the return of Ross Barkley on a permanent transfer, signing a three-year contract with the club.

September 2025: Barkley Returns to Aston Villa Training

In September 2025, Ross Barkley returned to Aston Villa training after missing the start of his second season due to a personal issue.

November 2025: Barkley's Abstinence from Alcohol

In November 2025, Ross Barkley mentioned in an interview that he had not consumed alcohol since the previous summer, with plans to continue his career without drinking.

November 2025: Barkley Suffers Knee Injury

In November 2025, Ross Barkley suffered a knee injury 13 minutes after coming onto the pitch for Aston Villa, sidelining him for approximately 2 months.