Ross Barkley’s sole stated focus might be jump-starting a Chelsea career that has stalled but, when you are a prodigy about whom comparisons have ranged from Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney to Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack, it is inevitable that expectations around you are easily stirred.

And so, having already started as many games in two weeks under Maurizio Sarri as he did in four months with Antonio Conte, one of the most uplifting aspects of Chelsea’s pre-season has been the emergence of an obviously super-fit, injury-free and apparently confident Barkley.

Chelsea continue their summer preparations in Dublin on Wednesday against Arsenal and the contrast with when Barkley made his club debut against the same team is stark. That was when Chelsea were beaten 2-1 in the League Cup semi-final and Barkley, after finding himself on the receiving end of a Conte blast for how long it took to get ready following Willian’s 30th-minute injury, understandably struggled in what was his first match for eight months.

Conte’s later words then may also have stung – “it is not simple, especially when on the bench the only substitute is Ross Barkley” – and the former Everton midfielder was only seen again under him three more times.