Everton's Barkley determined to achieve double figure target
REUTERS - Everton midfielder Ross Barkley is determined to reach double figures in both goals and assists by the end of the Premier League season, the 23-year-old has said.
Barkley has been playing in a more advanced central-midfield role under manager Ronald Koeman in recent weeks and has five goals and as many assists this campaign.
"I feel like I should be getting more goals and I'm working really hard on that in training. Part of my game is that I need to get more goals," Barkley told the club's website (www.evertonfc.com).
"Hopefully in the last few games of the season I can get into double figures. That's my aim at the start of every season. I've got five (assists) at the minute as well and I aim to get double figures in both.
"I'm a mixture of a midfielder and a striker, so sometimes when I'm higher up the pitch I need to think like a striker. And, as a midfielder, I need to think about defensive work as well."
Everton are seventh in the Premier League with 13 games remaining and they host bottom-placed Sunderland on Saturday.
(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)