Cape Town – Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is relishing his football this season and reckons it's his time to shine after struggling with injuries in recent years.
The Englishman struggled with a hamstring injury last season and missed almost the entire campaign, making only five appearances across all competitions.
However, the 24-year-old is back to full strength and has featured in eight of Chelsea's nine Premier League games this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
"I'm in a totally different frame of mind this season," Barkley told the Evening Standard.
"When I first arrived, I was excited to join a massive club, with the ambition to achieve success. But I came here with a long-term injury, so I had to focus on just getting my body right and getting back to normal.
"Then I had a few niggles, so it was a bit stop-start. I knew then that this season was going to be my time, and that I would be more like a new signing this summer than I was in January, just because of where I was at physically.
"When you first come back from a long-term injury, you're just trying to get your body in order and trying to get back into the training and match routine.
"That's why it was important for me to get a strong pre-season under my belt, because it gives you the right platform. I'm back on track and I hope I'll continue to improve, score goals and get assists."
