Thursday 15 October 2015 15:25, UK
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has urged England boss Roy Hodgson to make room in his starting line-up for Ross Barkley.
The 21-year-old playmaker impressed during England's European Qualifying wins over Estonia and Lithuania in the past week.
Barkley's place in the national side at either No 10 or in midfield is still not certain, though, leaving Martinez to offer his support to a "sensational prospect."
When asked about where Barkley would be best utilised by Hodgson, Martinez said: "I think his best position is on the pitch.
"When you've got that outstanding talent, you just need to fit it in a team. There's no right answer, depending on what role you want him to do and what you want the team to do.
"What is clear is he's a sensational prospect, as we all know. He's still a very young man.
"I'm a bit surprised about the hype that has developed just because of the two performances with England. We've been seeing Ross hitting that level since the first day of the season.
"He's someone that has been through so much and it's not just a sign of a potential player any more, he's a very strong footballer with incredible quality."
Phil Jagielka became the first Everton player to captain England when he led the team out against Lithuania, with Wayne Rooney and Gary Cahill unavailable for selection.
"In my eyes he's been the most consistent and the best English centre-half in the last 12 months," added Martinez.
"He's the first Everton player to lead the team out for England and I think that's a fitting reward and the way he performed was magnificent."
Martinez has also welcomed Jurgen Klopp to the Premier League after the new Liverpool manager gave his first media conference in the role.
"Everyone can see how impressive he was in Germany," said the Spaniard.
"Not just the way that his teams play, I think the way he brings that contagious approach of being brave and creating really difficult teams to play against.
"I think his quality as a coach and a manager was one of the biggest strengths of the Bundesliga and I'm sure he's going to be a really good fit for the Premier League."
