Barkley apprehensive ahead of Everton return

The midfielder grew up in the Everton academy, and made a dream come true when he made his debut for the club at the age of 18.

While he showed initial promise at the 'Toffees', his development had slowed in the last few years, with Barkley taking the decision to leave his boyhood club to further his career.

"I achieved my dream of playing for Everton, from a young age I always dreamed of scoring for Everton. In my living room I always used to tell my mum 'one day I'll score for Everton' and when that happened it was unbelievable for me. I tried to achieve success there but sometimes these things happen in football.

"Coming to Chelsea was a big challenge for me. I was approaching 25 and I felt looking back I could have improved a lot more [at Everton].

"At Chelsea I knew I'd improve a lot quicker around better players, world-class players.

When asked about how he is feeling for the game, Barkley admitted: "On the day I might get a few nerves as it will feel a bit strange. I'm looking forward to catching up with some of the staff there who I used to get on really well with."