Roy Hodgson discusses the form of Chelsea ace Ross Barkley ahead of Stamford Bridge showdown
He worked with him during his time as England manager, and Roy Hodgson says he is pleased to see Ross Barkley now thriving at Chelsea.
Hodgson's Crystal Palace side are likely to come up against the former Everton man on Sunday, as Barkley looks to continue the impressive run of form that has led to him being nominated for the Premier League player of the month award.
And ahead of the game, Barkley's former boss at international level has heaped praise on his progression and why he is now showing Chelsea fans what he is capable of.
“I am very pleased for him, because like quite a few of the players who came in very early, now we are starting to see as they mature, they are getting games behind them," Hodgson said.
“At that time, [Danny] Welbeck, [Raheem] Sterling, [Ross] Barkley, [Kyle] Walker and [Danny] Rose too, they weren't getting an awful lot of football, now they are number one picks and are playing Premier League and Champions League football, playing for their national teams and maturing into the players we always thought they would be.
“Ross was unlucky I thought with his injury, which set him back when he got to Chelsea, but he has done exceptionally well to persevere and battle through that.
“He certainly looks a lot fitter than the last time he was working with us.
“I must say to his enormous credit, when he came to us, he did realise he wasn't as fit as he should be and to get a place in that 2016 team, he really worked unbelievably hard to get his weight down and his body back into the right shape.
"But he hadn't been playing a lot of regular football at that time."
Since that time, the 24-year-old has had ups and downs in his career, but Hodgson says he believes he is showing his ability in a Chelsea shirt now, after joining the west London side in January.
But Hodgson warned that Barkley will need to show a level of consistency over the course of the season to keep progressing with Chelsea and England.
“[Ross] Barkley was one of many talents that came onto the scene for England a few years ago who I thought if they could get a run of games, and keep themselves as fit as they need to be, technically and professionally they have everything you are looking for in a midfield player.
“I am very pleased for him.
“He is showing everything at the moment that we thought he could and should be. But let's wait and see how he does throughout the season and see what success Chelsea have with him in the team before we go overboard.
“We do have a tendency that people get those epithets quite early on before there is a real body of evidence. As a football coach, I prefer to wait for a larger body of evidence before making bold statements.”
However, Hodgson says he is wary of the England international as Palace prepare to face the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
And speaking with a wry smile, the Eagles boss said he hoped Barkley would not make him regret his praise on Sunday.
“I hope he will repay these kind words by playing very poorly on Sunday. But I doubt whether he will," said Hodgson.