Gareth Barry has served all four of his senior professional clubs well, and it was no surprise that each of them posted tributes when he announced his retirement on Thursday at the age of 39. All were highly complimentary, though perhaps Everton’s summed up the Premier League record holder’s 653 appearances most concisely: “Congratulations on a magnificent career.”
The midfielder’s 22 years in top-level football have certainly been that, though in addition to numerous milestones and 833 appearances in total it should not be forgotten that Barry also holds another record – no one else has collected 119 yellow cards, not to mention several dismissals.
Perhaps that is simply the midfielder’s lot these days, and as an old-fashioned ball-winner not exactly blessed with pace, Barry could scarcely avoid being late into challenges as the game sped up around him. Anyone only familiar with the later part of his career might assume he was put into the team specifically to make his muscular presence felt by putting some bite and backbone into the side, though he would not have played so regularly or clocked up so many records had he simply been a midfield enforcer.
Barry was a technically gifted player with an eye for a pass and an ability to anticipate danger. Most players would have been happy with just the Aston Villa part of his career – 365 appearances in 11 years – but towards the end of that stint Rafael Benítez tried to bring him to Liverpool and the player was keen to join. That move never happened, but had it come about Barry would probably have missed out on his most
successful period, the five years at Manchester City that brought an FA Cup win in 2011 and a league title a year later.
He was 33 when City released him yet he still went on to make 155 appearances for Everton, where he was voted player of the season in 2015-16 by both supporters and first team players. When that contract came to an end he had enough left in the locker for three years with West Brom, where typically he chose not to retire a year ago when out of the team through injury because he wanted to fight back and go out on his own terms.
Fight is a characteristic that Barry gave all his teams, including England, who handed him the first of his 53 caps way back in the Kevin Keegan era. He did not prove popular with all of the half dozen international coaches who came along after, though he retained his popularity among fans, who appreciated his desire and determined approach.
Those qualities in turn helped him outstrip Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney to claim the record for Premier League appearances, a record that should stand for some time given that James Milner is the only player in the top 10 still active. Milner is a similar player to Barry in many ways, indeed the pair played together at Villa and Manchester City, but even though Milner looks after himself and is five years younger, he is going to have to go some to appear in another 116 top-flight matches.
The Guardian Sport
