Moyes urges Barkley caution

Barkley: The latest player to emerge from Everton's Academy

Everton manager David Moyes has revealed he will try and shield Ross Barkley from too much publicity in order to quell expectation surrounding the young starlet.

The 17-year-old was the only positive to come out of a disappointing game for the Toffees against QPR at the weekend, with the Liverpool-born player putting in an energetic performance despite he and his team-mates losing 1-0 at Goodison Park.

His emergence is similar to the way Wayne Rooney broke into the Everton first team as a 16-year-old under Moyes in 2002, capturing the imagination of the supporters in the process.

Moyes is pleased that Barkley is bringing some cheer to the fans in what has been a difficult summer for the club, but stressed he is going to be selective over what games he will play in order to protect the youngster and aid his development.

"I think everybody wants to get excited about players," said the Scot.

Awful

"I think Evertonians have not got an awful lot to be excited about at the moment, so Ross gives everybody something to look at and cling onto.

"But I will have to pick and choose him at the right times and I'm sure people will understand.

"It is not just because of his age, it is also because of his lack of football as he is still really coming back from a triple broken leg, which we have to be mindful of.

"He is a boy from the city of Liverpool who people know, a bit like Wayne.

"He is quite quiet off the field and doesn't say an awful lot, but he comes alive when he is on the field.

"It's great to see someone with the life and enthusiasm in them that he has."