Ross Barkley reckons he can get 20 goals per season at Chelsea as he looks to replicate the performances of ‘idol’ Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge.
The England midfielder had a slow start in his Blues career since moving from Everton in January yet the appointment of Maurizio Sarri, along with his recovery from a long-term injury, saw Barkley get his groove back. Despite the tight competition for places across the Chelsea midfield, the 24-year-old seems to have impressed the Italian schemer as he had started in all of Chelsea’s six games so far.
Having gained the trust of Sarri, Barkley is aiming to make the most of the opportunity being given to him. While he is yet to register on the scoresheet this season, he revealed he has set a goalscoring tally of 20 strikes per campaign. “I believe I can hit the 20-goals-a-season mark,” said the midfielder. “It’s a lot, but it’s achievable. You see Lamps do it and Stevie G (Steven Gerrard) and (Paul) Scholes.”
Barkley added that he counts Lampard, one of the Blues’ all-time greats, as his role model growing up. The ex-Chelsea star was a prolific scorer during his thirteen-year stint at Stamford Bridge. When he finally called his time at West London in 2014, he wrote his name in the history books as the club’s top goalscorer with 211 strikes in all competitions, despite playing as a midfielder.
With Barkley now at Chelsea, there is no better stage for the ex-Everton man to emulate his hero. “Frank is an example for me,” added the midfielder. “He joined the club at a similar age to me and was at a similar stage of his career.”
“He’s someone to look at with the success he achieved for the club and for himself. He was an idol of mine from when I was a young lad, watching the Champions League and seeing the goals he scored. If I could achieve half of what he did here, then that would be a success.”
