Samuel Eto'o on Ross Barkley: 'He can be even better' than Wayne Rooney

One decade since Wayne Rooney departed Everton for the redder pastures of Manchester United, Ross Barkley is establishing himself as Goodison Park's latest prodigy.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder notched six goals for Everton in 2013-14, and having recently returned from a knee injury acquired one day before the Premier League, he looks poised to improve on that number and provide Roberto Martinez's side with a sorely-needed presence in the midfield.

As Martinez even said himself, Barkley was "born to play football."

With hype for the youngster at an all-time high, Samuel Eto'o, who has played with some of the greatest footballers of the past 20 years, spoke about Ross in conversation with Everton's official website. The Cameroonian striker believes that it's an honour to play alongside Ross and thinks his teammate can one-up Rooney by the time he hangs up his cleats.

"I knew of Ross before I came here and when I met Roberto [Martinez] to talk about the team, he was one of the people I was asking about," Eto'o said. "It is a pleasure and an honour for me to play with him and I think he can become this unique player that everyone dreams of.

"He has the same type of quality as Wayne Rooney had when he was here and he can even be better. He's still young, so it's our job now to be around him and make sure he improves and delivers what he should deliver."