Phil Jagielka has insisted that his Everton teammate Ross Barkley can cope with being a marked man.

The 20-year-old's ascent over the past 12 months has seen some opposition teams deploy tactics designed to nullify the threat that he can pose.

However, despite the extra attention, Jagielka has backed the attacking midfielder to continue to flourish.

"That is what happens to the best players. They watch the videos of him and they do target him to make sure if they keep him quiet in a game it can affect his team," he told the club's official website.

"He is going to have to deal with it and I can't see it getting much easier for him as he goes on in his career, but he's more than capable of dealing with it."

Barkley recently returned to action following a lengthy stint on the sidelines with a knee injury.