Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says Ross Barkley "isn't a kid anymore" and has advised him to beware of the potential pitfalls around him.
The Everton midfielder was punched in the face in a Liverpool nightclub at the weekend in what his lawyers are calling an "unprovoked attack".
He wasn't seriously injured in the incident. On Monday his solicitor released a statement, saying, “We can confirm that Ross was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a stranger who approached him on Sunday evening.”
Pundit Carragher told Sky Sports News, that by the time he got to Barkley's current age of 23, he had matured.
"What Ross will do is what I did after every Liverpool game. You get a good win and you go out with your mates for a drink. You can't do that. There has to be a line in the sand now and Ross has to change. You can’t put yourself in that position. That has to stop," said the former England defender.
Discussing his own experiences during his formative years, Carragher also said: "I’ve had a smack myself when I was in town as a young lad at Ross' age playing football. It wasn't caught on camera and there was no social media."
Barkley had been in action for Everton at the weekend before the incident, setting up a goal for team-mate Romelu Lukaku with a sumptuous cross from the right flank as the Belgian headed in during a 4-2 home win over Leicester City.
This season, the 23 year old has scored four Premier League goals and provided eight assists.
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