MIDFIELDER Ross Barkley has recently signed for Aston Villa following Luton’s relegation to the Championship.
Here’s all we know about his upbringing and parents as he returns to Villa Park.
Ross Barkley‘s mum is called Diana Barkley, and his dad is called Peter Effanga.
Ross was born in Liverpool on 5 December, 1993, and also has a sister.
He has had a difficult relationship with his dad, and because of this he takes his mum’s surname.
It’s reported that Ross had no contact with Peter for most of his childhood after he broke up with his mum when he was just a year old.
Not a lot is known about Ross Barkley’s mum Diane.
She brought Ross up following her separation from Peter Effanga when he was young.
He’s spoken fondly of her in interviews, saying how supportive she has been of his career over the years.
Ross has spoken about his upbringing on a number of occasions, saying how he travel to training alone on the bus as a child as his mum had to look after his sister.
But his mum has always played a key part in his football journey since he was young.
In 2013, Ross talked about how his mum had predicted his first goal when he was a young player at Everton.
He said: “My mum said before the game she had a feeling I’d score and I’m made up she was right.
“I was over the moon because I’ve dreamt about that moment since I was a kid.”
Ross Barkley’s dad Peter Effanga is an automotive engineer.
He currently works at the Getrag Ford Transmission plant, where he oversees production.
Peter was born in Nigeria before moving to the UK when he was young.
Whilst it’s reported that Peter has a strained relationship with his son, he has been seen attending his football matches in recent years.
Because of his Nigerian descent through his dad, Ross Barkley would be eligible to play for the Nigerian national team.
Despite this he has played for the England senior team a total of 33 times.
Ross scored his first goal for the side in their 6-0 win over San Marino in a qualifier for Euro 2016.
