Former Everton and Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley has been released by French Ligue 1 Nice after making 28 appearances for the club.
The Liverpool-born midfielder joined Nice last year, after having spent a season on loan at Aston Villa whilst employed at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea. He has made 28 appearances, scoring 4 goals, but the French side have confirmed he will be released at the end of his contract.
Although no news has surfaced about Barkley’s next move, it may be the case that he looks to return to England, where he has spent his entire career before his move to Ligue 1.
Barkley came up through Everton’s youth academy before making his way into the first team in 2010. He also had loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United before his move to Chelsea and subsequent loan to Villa.
In his time with Everton, Barkley made 179 appearances, contributing 27 goals for his local club. He decided that it was time for a change of scenery in 2018, after having been sidelined at Goodison Park due to a long-term hamstring injury.
He has also represented the England first team 33 times over a 6-year spell, scoring 6 goals for his country. He also played in the 2014 World Cup, and was selected for the 2016 Euros despite not being showcased in that competition.
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He has also won the FA Cup, Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup competitions whilst playing with Chelsea.
With such credentials behind him, the 29-year-old probably won’t struggle too hard to find a new place to showcase his talents – where that will end up being, remains to be seen.
