Ross Barkley Wasn't 'Coached Much' at Everton, Happy Under Chelsea's Sarri

Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley says he is happy working with manager Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge as he feels he did not receive enough coaching at Everton.

Barkley came through the ranks at Goodison Park and worked under David Moyes, Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce, but he believes he is only now being coached to the level he would like.

Per the Evening Standard's Matt McGeehan, he said:

"Over the years I haven't really been coached much. When you go through the youth system, you're always going in to do analysis work, you're looking at every way of improving and your coaches are always on top of you.

"And once you go into the first team it can change, because game to game managers are focusing on weekly results, not player development.

"That's just the way it can go. Some players are more fortunate than others to have coaches fully focused on improvement.

"I believe that if I did have that type of approach from a coach when I was younger then maybe I would have improved a lot more. Where I am right now is where I believe I should be."

Goal shared more of his comments:

So too did Ian Croll of the Liverpool Echo, but sports reporter James Corbett was disappointed with what the midfielder said:

The 24-year-old broke into the first team under Moyes but did not become a regular at Everton until Martinez's first campaign in charge at the age of 21 after spending time on loan with Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United.

Barkley's ability quickly became apparent. His eye for goal, creativity in the final third and dynamism with the ball at his feet helped him stand out at Everton. He has earned 22 England caps, appearing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but he has struggled to deliver consistently.

He moved to Chelsea in January but made just four appearances under Antonio Conte, as he spent much of his time recovering from a hamstring injury.

Though he has played just 469 minutes, Barkley has featured in all but one of the Blues' matches this season under Sarri.

Simon Johnson of the Evening Standard and the Daily Telegraph's Matt Law praised his appearance in Sarri's press conference, and the latter does not believe his intention was to criticise his former club:

There are few managers in world football with a bigger reputation for improving players than Sarri, and it may come as little surprise that Barkley feels he is doing better under the Italian.

Even Eden Hazard, whose world-class ability has long been apparent, seems to have been given a new lease of life this season and already has seven goals to his name.

Though he did not win any silverware with them, Sarri transformed Napoli into serial title contenders in Italy during his three years at the club. They were also regarded as one of the most exciting, attacking sides in Europe under his watch.

Attacking players like Barkley and Hazard have the most to gain from his tutelage, and it will be fascinating to see the heights they can reach through Sarri's coaching.