Friday 24 February 2017 22:14, UK
Everton midfielder Ross Barkley says finishing above Liverpool in the Premier League would be "great", and reflects on his development under Ronald Koeman.
The Toffees started the season inconsistently as Koeman looked to implement his playing style at Goodison Park, but are currently on an eight-game unbeaten run in the top flight.
Their last defeat was a 1-0 loss to Liverpool in December, and Barkley hopes Everton can finish above their Merseyside rivals.
"I'd like that [to finish above Liverpool]," he told Soccer Saturday. "I'm an Everton supporter so to see us finish higher than them would be great.
"But they're higher than us at the minute and we've obviously got to focus on one game at a time and see where we finish at the end of the season."
The 23-year-old came through the youth ranks at Goodison Park and made his debut in August 2011, but has struggled for consistency in the intervening years.
Barkley came in for criticism from Koeman at the start of the season, with the Everton manager admitting he did not know if the midfielder would fulfil his potential.
However, the England international says the criticism has spurred him on to find the form that heralded his arrival to the Toffees first team, and is aiming for more goals and assists before the season is finished.
"I played a lot of games at a young age and I feel like I'm an older player in the side now," he added. "I communicate a lot more on the pitch and in the training room now.
"You can take a bit of criticism from your manager now and then, but you have to react to it which I have done. He has maybe got a bit more out of me through that but I know I can do better myself, going away to work hard on my game and trying to improve which I have been doing.
"Earlier in the season, I was a little bit inconsistent and I think I've got to a point now where I understand what I need to do, in games and preparing for games. I'm showing that with more consistency now than I had earlier in the season.
"I've played in a lot of positions under the new manager. I've played in midfield, I've played out wide, I've been a number 10 and an inside forward so it's good to get that mixture in because you have an understanding of what different players expect.
"At the minute, I'm playing in a different role which I'm enjoying, getting the licence to roam, create chances and get goals which is what my game is about so I'm enjoying it.
"I've chipped in with a few goals and assists but I expect more from myself so I'm not happy with what I have got at the minute but that's just the way I am. I want to be better all the time."
One of Barkley's goals this season came during a 6-3 victory over Bournemouth at the start of February, where he rounded goalkeeper Artur Boruc in the 90th minute and celebrated his goal before scoring, eventually sliding home into an open net.
The 'arms out' celebration provoked plenty of attention on social media, but the midfielder insists that it was not intended as a disrespectful gesture to their opponents.
"It's something I used to do as a kid and it just happened naturally - it was just instinct," Barkley said. "I knew it was the last minute and I'd rounded the 'keeper so I knew I was scoring and I had the confidence to celebrate before I scored.
"I was not trying to take the mickey out of Bournemouth, it was just more the enjoyment of the game."
