"Ross Barkley: The Elegant Beast"

Is there something that can serve as motivation for our family, a small group, throughout the year? While it's enjoyable to search for this, we often run out of ideas. That’s why, last year, based on a casual remark from a family member, we decided to support Luton Town FC (nicknamed the Hatters, hereafter referred to as the Hatters), a football team in England that finished 3rd in the Championship in the 2022–2023 season and earned promotion to the Premier League. It was their first promotion to the top flight in 31 years. We got kits for everyone, and on match nights, we all cheered together. The arrival of Japanese national player Daiki Hashioka in the second half of the season also created a buzz. However, unfortunately, the Hatters were relegated back to the second division after just one season.

Despite growing up in a country(Santos, Brazil) with a strong football culture, for no particular reason, I had stopped watching football. But now, as we decided to support a football team again, I realized I didn’t even know what kind of town the Hatters represented. Supporting a team that had just returned to the top division after 31 years meant I had to learn from scratch.

Now, there was a midfielder named Ross Barkley on the Hatters (who has since left the team this season to join Aston Villa). Ross Barkley, once selected for the England national team at a young age, is now referred to as a "Forgotten Gem." He was once hailed as the future of English football, a genius player. Injuries and other factors caused his career to stagnate, and as he entered his thirties, a time of physical and mental maturity, Barkley joined the Hatters, after having drifted through various clubs.

Carlton Morris, an indisputable star who exudes toughness and sensitivity, clearly shows the love he's received throughout his career. Alfie Doughty, with a cheerful, playful, almost neighborhood-brother vibe (no offense), plays with genius-level talent, though his mood swings add to his charm. Amari’i Bell, elegant and cool in his demeanor, is a technical defender who lifts the ball with confidence and flair. Chiedozie Ogbene, with lightning-fast speed that leaves opponents in the Premier League in awe, is a dribbler who fearlessly turns the impossible into reality. Then there's the gentlemanly craftsman Andros Townsend, working to rebuild his career, the team mood maker Osho, the stoic gatekeeper Mengi, the devoted and tireless veteran Clark, the team’s prince Woodrow, the highly talented young starlets Chong and Lokonga, and the raw but immensely potential-filled Adebayo. Lastly, there’s Kaminski, a goalkeeper whose incredible saves, which could only be described as awesome, have made him indispensable to the Hatters. (At the end of last year, a shocking event occurred when Tom Lockyer, the captain and passionate defender who had led the team to promotion, collapsed on the pitch during a match. The man who was the heart of the team fell to the ground for the second time in his career due to heart issues and left the field. Life can be ironic, but we pray as a family that one day, Lockyer will return to be the heart of the Hatters again, without regret.)

Amidst this diverse and star-studded team, Ross Barkley remains somewhat quiet. Too quiet. Sometimes, he seems to gaze off into the distance, as if he deliberately seeks solitude. What he carries on his back is not just glory, wealth, the team, his own career, performance, self-fulfillment, or redemption, but perhaps, more than anything else, he is running around the pitch as if searching for proof of his own existence. When he has the ball, he moves like an elegant beast.

His footwork, technique, psychological games, unbelievable ball retention, abundant creativity, and personal skills are impressive, but so is his ability to use his teammates based on his assessment of the game. Even the opposition struggles to comprehend how he can pass in such unexpected ways. After following the Premier League for a year, I came to believe that there isn’t another player like him. Of course, there are already midfielders hailed as historic, young geniuses, and exceptional playmakers, but I haven’t found anyone who can compare to Barkley. For more accurate and insightful analysis, far more suitable experts than me have posted plenty of content online, so I won’t delve further.

However, what stands out most about Barkley is his solitary nature. Watching from the sidelines, you can sense the intensity of his private battles, a fight so intense that it transcends football itself. This is no longer just a story about football; it is the struggle of one man risking everything to reclaim his own existence. If he can’t find it there, if he can’t take it back, then it’s as if the man named Ross Barkley doesn’t exist at all.

In today’s football world, which is dominated by commercialized shows and presentations, how many players can be found who pursue themselves on the pitch with such relentless, urgent intensity? For me, Barkley stands alone in this respect.

As the season, which flew by in the blink of an eye, came to an end, what did Barkley regain? And what did he carry in his heart as he embarked on a new start? Although our support for less than a year wasn’t long, Barkley had become a surprisingly significant presence for us. I can’t help but feel a sense of sadness now that he’s left the Hatters. But if the team can embody the same fighting spirit he left behind, I believe that the Hatters will surely achieve promotion to the Premier League again. So, we continue to support them this season as well.✑ 　by  Kaye. O (author/journalist)  

I dedicate this piece to my beloved son, who led me to discover Luton Town FC.

Photo by Pexels,Pixabay