Barkley growing in stature
Hodgson insists he is proud at including - and keeping - Barkley in his squad from his early days as a teenager, even when he has been out of the Everton side.
Will his pride extend to putting the wonderfully gifted 21-year-old in England's starting line-up at Euro 2016?
It is a question that is growing in significance as Barkley, after a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-0 win against Estonia at Wembley on Friday, backed it up with another eye-catching display in Vilnius.
Barkley broke the deadlock with a deflected shot and almost added another with a header as his influence on England grows.
Hodgson still gets irked when reminded of his public criticism of Barkley following his performance in a friendly against Ecuador in Miami before the 2014 World Cup.
Then, he accused the media of having an "obsession" with Barkley before criticising the number of times he gave the ball away.
England and Barkley have moved on and Hodgson has since been very generous with his praise of the player.
He may, however, face a further "obsession" with Barkley if he continues to put in performances that will increase the clamour for him to be a first choice at Euro 201
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