Gareth Barry

Infobox Football biography
playername = Gareth Barry


fullname = Gareth Barry
height = height|ft=6|in=0 [cite web|title=Gareth Barry profile|publisher=Sky Sports|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/player/0,19754,11677_37796,00.html|accessdate=2008-04-15]
dateofbirth = birth date and age|df=yes|1981|2|23
cityofbirth = Hastings
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Aston Villa
clubnumber = 6
position = Defender, Midfielder
youthyears = 1996–1997
youthclubs = Brighton & Hove Albion
years = 1997–
clubs = Aston Villa
caps(goals) = 334 (36)
nationalyears = 1998–2002
2007
2000–
nationalteam = England U21
England B
England
nationalcaps(goals) = 027 0(2)
001 0(0)
024 0(1)
pcupdate = 02:21, 6 October 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 20:26, 11 October 2008 (UTC) Gareth Barry (born 23 February 1981 in Hastings, East Sussex) is an English football player who currently plays for Aston Villa.

Along with former team-mate Gareth Southgate, the pair were the only players to play in both the final club match (excepting 2000 Charity Shield match) and the final international match at the old Wembley Stadium. Both matches resulted in 1–0 losses: for Aston Villa against Chelsea in the 2000 FA Cup Final and for England against Germany in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Club career

Gareth Barry attended William Parker sports college in Hastings at the same time as Sussex cricketer Michael Yardy. An ex-England under-18 captain, Barry joined Aston Villa from Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. as a trainee in 1997 along with Michael Standing, who was considered at the time to be a much bigger talent than Barry. The move was controversial as the Brighton board demanded on £2.5 million for the two players, the FA transfer tribunial panel came up with a deal which would have seen Brighton make £2.4 million in the event of Barry and Standing making an England appearances plus sell on clauses. He played his first match for Villa on 2 May 1998 against Sheffield Wednesday. Initially, he played as a central defender, on the left-hand side of a back three including Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu. Barry has since become a highly versatile player and captain. Starting as a centre-back, he then moved to the left-back position. Later, Barry settled into a left-midfield role, but, most recently, he has switched to the centre of midfield.

In April 2005, Barry intervened in a controversial incident against Newcastle United when two Newcastle United players, Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer, brawled with one another during the game. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4384123.stm|title=Newcastle 0-3 Aston Villa|publisher=BBC Sport| accessdate = 2008-05-31]

In November 2007, it was reported that Aston Villa were set to award Barry a testimonial, at the age of just 26, to recognize his 10 years at the club. On 5 April 2008, Barry helped to break a run of bad-form, scoring in a 4–0 victory over Bolton Wanderers. He scored two goals (his first two from open play that season) and he was also credited with two assists. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7320179.stm|title=Aston Villa 4-0 Bolton|publisher=BBC Sport| accessdate = 2008-05-31]

As of April 2008, Barry, approaching 400 total appearances for Aston Villa, was the longest serving player in the team.cite news |title=Gareth Barry: Player Profile |url=http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PlayerProfiles/0,,10265~5502,00.html |publisher=Aston Villa F.C.'s official website |date=2008-02-26 |accessdate=2008-02-26] During the league game against Bolton Wanderers on 28 October 2007, Barry became the youngest player to appear in 300 Premiership games (aged 26 years 247 days), replacing former record-holder Frank Lampard. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7054069.stm|title=Bolton 1-1 Aston Villa|publisher=BBC Sport| accessdate = 2008-05-31]

In May 2008, Liverpool expressed an interest in Barry and offered up to £10 million which was rejected; they then made further bids for Barry, with a £13 million bid reported on 12 June 2008, which was again rejected.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/7380534.stm|title=Villa reveal Liverpool Barry bid|publisher=BBC|date=2008-05-02|accessdate=2008-05-02] cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/7396310.stm|title=Villa plan last-ditch Barry talks|publisher=BBC|date=2008-05-12|accessdate=2008-05-12] cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/7450271.stm|title=Liverpool bid for Barry rejected|publisher=BBC|date=2008-06-12|accessdate=2008-06-12]

On 29 June 2008, Barry, who still had two years on his current contract, publicly criticised O'Neill in a sunday newspaper claiming no attempt had been made to keep him at Villa Park. He said: "Villa kept saying they wanted me to stay but I have not heard from the manager for weeks" and re-iterated his desire to join Liverpool to play Champions League football. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/29/ufnbarry129.xml Gareth Barry: I want to join Liverpool, my mind is made up] ] O'Neill responded, stating that he and club owner Randy Lerner gave the player numerous options and incentives to continue playing for the club.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/7450271.stm|title= Villa prepared to let Barry leave|publisher=BBC|date=2008-06-30|accessdate=2008-07-01] This incident led to Aston Villa officially disciplining Barry on 2 July 2008, for giving an unauthorized interview. At the same time another bid of around £15 million from Liverpool had been rejected, which was still way short of Villa's £18 million asking price. Steve Finnan had then been offered in a part-exchange in the deal but the fee Villa would have wanted in this case was understood by the BBC to be £17 million with Steve Finnan.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/7450271.stm|title=O'Neill awaits improved Barry bid|publisher=BBC|date=2008-07-03|accessdate=2008-07-04] On 31 July 2008 Villa announced that Barry would be staying at Villa after an agreed deadline on a deal had passed, however, two days later O'Neill declared the deadline redundant after a meeting with Barry who continued to express an interest in a move to Liverpool. [cite news |url=http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~1357014,00.html |title=Barry deal back on? |publisher=Aston Villa F.C. |date=2008-08-02 |accessdate=2008-08-03] However, on 14 August, Barry started for Aston Villa in a UEFA Cup tie against FH Hafnarfjordur, in which he scored in a 4-1 win. This put any move to Liverpool in serious doubt. The goal against Hafnarfjordur was Barry's first european goal since he scored a penalty in the Intertoto Cup against Celta Vigo in 2000. On 18 September 2008, Barry made his 400th appearance in a Villa shirt in the UEFA Cup away to Litex Lovech. Villa won the match 3-1 and Barry scored a penalty.

International career

Barry made his England under-21 debut against the Czech Republic in 1998. He made 27 starts for the Under-21 side, a record since surpassed by fellow Aston Villa players, former on-loan goalkeeper Scott Carson and colleague James Milner.

First picked for the senior England side by Kevin Keegan, along with David Beckham he is the only other England international to date to have played under every England manager since first selected by Keegan. After an injury to Jason Wilcox, he was able to travel to Euro 2000, [ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=486948&in_page_id=1779&ct=5 Middle man Barry back in business under the new regime] Daily Mail - 10 October 2007] but did not feature in any of the side's games. Barry made his England debut as a substitute in a pre-Euro 2000 friendly against Ukraine on 31 May 2000. His first start for England was in the 1–1 draw against France on 2 September.

He made further England appearances in matches against South Africa, Serbia and Montenegro and Slovakia in 2003.

Barry was recalled to the England squad following a four-year international exile on 2 February 2007. Barry was resigned to never winning another cap under previous boss Sven-Göran Eriksson but Steve McClaren brought him back for the first time since March 2003. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6319849.stm|title=Barton wins first England call-up|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2007-02-02|accessdate=2007-02-02] Barry was brought on at the beginning of the second half of the friendly match against Spain on 7 February 2007 as replacement for Steven Gerrard and played left midfield for the majority of the game, moving to left-back when Stewart Downing was brought on. England lost 1–0 thanks to a second half Andres Iniesta goal. On 25 May, Barry played for England B in a 3–1 victory over Albania, getting an assist for England's first goal scored by Alan Smith. Barry renewed his England international career by coming on as a substitute, replacing Michael Carrick in a friendly against Germany, at Wembley. As confirmed by John Motson during the BBC Commentary for this game, Barry has now played under 5 different England Managers (including England U21 & England B-Team).Fact|date=August 2008

As a replacement for the injured Owen Hargreaves, Barry started in central midfield for England against Israel on 8 September 2007; with two assists and impressive overall play. He kept his place with Owen Hargreaves declared unfit for the match against Russia on 12 September 2007, and produced another stunning display, proving to be more than competent at international level. BBC Presenters Ian Wright and Alan Shearer commented that Barry was immense in the centre of midfield alongside Gerrard, forming a wonderful partnership together, and further commented that he should have been given man of the match overall for the two performances against Israel and Russia. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6992305.stm|title=BBC pundits on England|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-09-13]

He was also given the official man of the match for England's Euro 2008 home qualifier against Estonia. He was selected to start against Switzerland on 6 February 2008, the first game of the Capello era. He was again selected to start in England's friendly away to France on 26 March. Barry scored his first international goal against Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June, this completed a personal treble for Barry as he also captained England in the second half of his 20th cap. [cite news |first=Andrew |last=McKenzie |title=Defoe and Barry secure England win |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7425208.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2008-06-01 |accessdate=2008-06-01 ]

England goals

Club statistics

Honours

Aston VillaFA Cup
*Runners-up: 1999–2000Intertoto Cup
*Winners: 2001Player of the Season
*Winner: 2006–07Player's Player of the Season
*Winner: 2006–07, 2007–08

References

External links

*FIFA player|177648
*soccerbase|id=14130|name=Gareth Barry
* [http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/Archive/?pf=p&i=5463&
] at The FA
* [http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PlayerProfiles/0,,10265~5502,00.html Gareth Barry's Profile] at Aston Villa

Persondata
NAME = Barry, Gareth
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Professional footballer
DATE OF BIRTH = 1981-02-23
PLACE OF BIRTH = Hastings, East Sussex, England
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =