The Everton midfielder Ross Barkley accepts his form this season has fallen below his best but insists he is not feeling the pressure.

The 21-year-old’s fortunes on the pitch have mirrored that of his team as neither have been able to reproduce the standards of last season, when a fine campaign saw the Toffees finish fifth after being in contention for the Champions League for a long period.

Barkley has struggled to rediscover the form which made him such an integral part of the team’s success but he is working hard to get back to his best.

“From my point of view I haven’t done as well as I know I can, but things like this happen,” the England international told Premier League World. You have to go through bad days to get to the great days you have in your career.

“Everything’s a learning curve. We haven’t been going through the best period at the moment but we’re going to come through this and be really good at the end of it.

“I don’t feel pressure. I believe in myself and I know what I can do. It’s not me feeling pressure, it’s just me putting pressure on myself if I don’t do my best, and I know I can do better.

“I just focus on getting better every day, putting things right in training and then hopefully what I’m doing right in training I’m going to show in games as well.”

Barkley, when he has started, has found himself switching positions regularly and has not been given a long spell behind the centre-forward where he was most effective last season. Many observers appear to have pencilled him in for a deeper midfield role but he does not feel that will get the best out of him.

“I’m a striker,” he said. “I feel I can have my greatest impact there because I’m free to roam around the pitch, take players on, have shots and create chances.”