Considered a great talent in English football, Ross Barkley ultimately had a less exceptional career than expected. Trained at Everton and passed through Leeds, Chelsea, Nice and Luton Town, the midfielder, now 31 years old, returned to Aston Villa in 2024. And if the Englishman managed to return to a competitive club in the Premier League, it is because he made a radical decision regarding a recurring problem among British players: alcohol.
“I haven’t had a drink since the summer. I plan to stay alcohol-free for the duration of my career. This has created situations that I no longer want to experience. I’m a dad now, I have more responsibilities. I have maybe four, five, six or seven years left of playing football, so I want to make the most of it. For most people, alcohol can cause problems, I realize now. Without alcohol there are no problems. We can have clear thoughts every day and it does not affect our state of mind. There are many benefits to not drinking. I’ve been out a few times, and when you drink too much, you do things you regret. I would go out and drink too much, then it would come back to the club. I once went out on a Sunday to Liverpool and we had a game on Wednesday. I was filmed and then it was published in the newspaper. We (Chelsea) had an away game in France (against Lille) and Frank Lampard was the manager. He couldn’t really tell me much other than learn from it and choose the right time to do it, because he knew what it was like when you’re young. But the sanction was that I traveled with the team, but I was not on the bench. I had to watch the match on the bus. It was difficult to accept. You have to do your introspection. We make mistakes. It’s good to talk to people, learn from your mistakes and understand that throughout life there will be challenges to overcome.”he confided to The Athletic.
