Roberto Martinez believes Ross Barkley's performance in Everton's 2-1 Capital One Cup victory at Reading was the latest demonstration that the midfielder is playing at a "different level".
Barkley scored Everton's equalising goal, after the impressive Nick Blackman had given hosts Reading a half-time lead, and in his 100th appearance for the club was the crucial player in the second-half comeback that concluded with Gerard Deulofeu's match-winning free-kick.
Barkley's goal was the third of his fine start to the season, and came shortly after the international break in which he again featured for the senior England team. After a disappointing 12 months following a promising debut season that ended in selection for the 2014 World Cup, his career is again full of promise and his manager is confident that the 21-year-old's increasing maturity is now being witnessed.
"I think he has gone to a different level," Martinez said.
"It is fair to say that this season, for someone so young to already to have 100 games for our football club is an immense landmark. I think he is a completely different player from what we saw last season or a couple of seasons back.
"Maturity, always controlling the big moments, he had to be the one scoring the equalising goal, the important goal and I think his overall performance was of a player with a lot more age than he has.
"(I'm) extremely pleased. (It is a) remarkable landmark for someone so young. We are all excited to see him progressing and developing into a very, very special player."
Barkley's reputation is again returning to the same level presently being experienced by Everton team-mate John Stones, another expected to have a significant future with the England team.
The defender was substituted minutes into the second half after a suffering a knee injury but Martinez, who had to reorganise his defence by introducing the rested left-back Brendan Galloway as a consequence, is unconcerned about his condition.
"It was more precaution than anything," he said. " He had a little bit of a knock on his right knee and we couldn't take any risks. He is going to be assessed over the next 48 hours but I don't expect it to be anything too serious."
Reading boss Steve Clarke, meanwhile, defended the performance of Ali Al Habsi following the loss.
The goalkeeper had appeared at fault when in position to save Deulofeu's decisive free-kick, but the manager said: "I'm disappointed. I thought we played well, especially in the first half.
"Everyone keeps telling me it was a goalkeeping error: I haven't seen it. That is the life of a goalkeeper."
Source: PA
