Ross Barkley and Callum Hudson-Odoi both starred for England as they cruised to victory against Montenegro and now one of them is being compared to a Chelsea legend.
Hudson-Odoi made his first start for England despite not having done the same under Maurizio Sarri, while Barkley arguably had his finest display for the national side.
Barkley assisted England’s first goal thanks to a lovely delivery for Michael Keane to head home, while the midfielder also turned Hudson-Odoi’s shot into the net just before the break.
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The 25-year-old also coolly tucked away his second after half-time, with former Chelsea hero turned pundit Joe Cole comparing the ex-Everton star to Frank Lampard.
“He is maturing as a player. We touched on the fact that he needs to provide more runs into the box and his goal was Frank Lampard-esque,” Cole told ITV Sport.
“He’s got the technique and the size and now he’s starting to knit them all together.”
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Barkley has come off the substitutes bench more times than he’s started for Chelsea in the Premier League this season but Cole insists the playmaker’s best is still to come.
“He is playing himself into the England team and he’s got every chance of playing himself into the Chelsea team as well. I’m a great fan of his. He has the ability to become a top player," Cole added.
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