Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes has been called up to the full England squad for the very first-time after it was confirmed by manager Gareth Southgate on Thursday afternoon.
The 22-year-old has made a bright start to the new season with the Foxes, providing a goal and an assist so far as well as helping his side to the top of the Premier League table, with three wins from three games.
Although he didn’t directly contribute to a goal at West Bromwich Albion on the opening day, Barnes was unlucky not to get onto the scoresheet, but did so in the victory over Burnley as he bagged the first goal and set-up the third for James Justin’s strike.
Another impressive performance at Manchester City followed as he proved a constant threat down the left side in their 5-2 success at the Ethiad Stadium. The Foxes host West Ham United at the weekend in their final game before Barnes makes his way to St George's Park to start his senior career with the Three Lions, but his journey here hasn't been all so straightforward.
Loan spells
After being heavily involved in the Under 23s set-up at the beginning of the 2016/17 season, Barnes made his Leicester debut as a substitute in their Champions League defeat at FC Porto, before moving to the first of three loan spells just a month later.
In order to get valuable game time, the Burnley-born midfielder went out on loan to League One side Milton Keynes Dons where he spent the second half of the campaign at, scoring six goals in 21 appearances. He was awarded with the club’s Young Player of the Year award despite playing less than half of their matches, but it highlighted the potential in which he was showing, even at that level.
His next loan move was to Championship Barnsley, on a season-long loan, and it didn’t take him long to score his first goal, as he bagged in their 3-0 victory over Sunderland at the end of his first month with the Tykes. Barnes went onto net four more in 19 appearances, before his spell at Oakwell was cut short, when Leicester recalled the wide man in January 2018.
A Premier League debut was the next feat he achieved during the Foxes’ 0-0 draw against Southampton, before going out on loan once again, this time to Darren Moore’s West Brom. His first game at The Hawthorns was a memorable one, scoring a spectacular long-range strike, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat against Bolton Wanderers. Barnes’ spell at Albion ended just after the New Year after netting nine goals in 25 games.
Return to Leicester and breakthrough season
When Claude Puel recalled the youngster in January 2019, it was unknown to whether Barnes would regularly feature but he made an immediate impact at Wolves, eight days later. His deflected effort flew into the bottom corner for an own goal past Rui Patricio, however, it didn’t stop the Foxes losing the game 4-3. Barnes would often put in some credible displays without getting the goal he deserved, until he popped up with the equaliser in a 2-2 draw at West Ham in April.
His form at the end of the season earned himself a place in Brendan Rodgers’ plans for the 2019/20 season and he began the campaign in superb form, hitting the winner at Sheffield United. His trickery on the wing was a catalyst to the Foxes up-turn in form in the first half of the season as they raced into the Champions League places.
Barnes hit a purple patch after the New Year as he scored four goals in six games, including strikes against Wigan Athletic, Burnley, West Ham and Chelsea. His brace and Man of the Match performance versus Aston Villa was his final goals of the campaign after he failed to hit the back of the net since the restart despite putting in promising performances, especially against Crystal Palace.
What can he bring to the England squad?
Having played for a variety of England youth teams over the years, there is no doubt that Southgate knows what Barnes is capable of, and still only being 22, there is a massive potential for him to be in the senior fold for years to come.
Barnes has previously played for the Under 18s, Under 20s and Under 21s for his country, scoring six goals in just 14 appearances, while being part of the squad which lifted the Toulon Tournament in 2017.
He is one of nine forwards and four ‘out-and-out-wingers’ who have been selected for the games against Wales, Belgium and Denmark next month, and there is a chance he may be involved in those matches, espeically considering there is three internationals.
His ability to play a variety of positions means that he can fit into many systems that Southgate may adopt, and if he replicates his ability that he shown in a Leicester shirt within the last 12 months in particular then there is a good chance he does well with the national team.
