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Lampard backs Barkley to return to England fray

Cape Town - Chelsea legend Frank Lampard believes Ross Barkley can reclaim his England spot if he performs consistently well for the Blues.

The 24-year-old struggled with form as well as injury at Everton but was given the chance to revive his career after completing a £15 million to Stamford Bridge last week.

Lampard, who was part of the England squad at the 2014 World Cup, which also included Barkley, feels that the midfielder has the perfect platform to make his mark on the Premier League again.

"I think it is a good signing - it is a no-brainer for Chelsea at £15m for a boy of his talent," Lampard told Goal. 

"He's only 24 years old but now it is up to Ross to prove his talents. I think he will do that at Chelsea, so it is a good move. 

"He just needs to learn and listen to people around the place. The standards at Chelsea will be higher than what he's used to. 

"No disrespect to Everton but he came through there. There are consistency levels at Chelsea in what's demanded of you generally in your game and that's good," he added.

Lampard accepts it could be difficult for the new arrival to break into a star-studded Chelsea side, but still feels he could find himself at the 2018 World Cup in Russia in June if he finds his best form.

"He's at the stage of his career where he certainly needed that and I think Chelsea will be a great home for him on that front. He needs to try and get into the Chelsea team, which will be tough for him - that's the first challenge. 

"If he plays consistently then I think he's a key England player in the making. He's already an England player and he's got that ability to create something out of nothing so let's get him playing regularly to show what he can do for England and Chelsea." 

The last of Barkley's 22 England caps came in April 2016.

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