Gareth Barry Bio Send To Friend  

Gareth Barry made a surprise move to Manchester City in June 2009. The England international had been chased by Liverpool 12 months earlier with the player in search of Champions League football, so choosing to sign for a club without any European action was a shock.

A gifted left-footed midfielder with superb set-piece skills and a true leader, Barry played over 400 games for Villa in a 12-year career with the Midlands club.

Barry had been controversially plucked from the clutches of Brighton & Hove Albion's youth team and moved to Villa in 1997. Originally a left-back, Barry's versatility saw him flourish in a midfield role - so much so that he became one of the first names on the England teamsheet under firstly Steve McClaren and then Fabio Capello.

A former England Under-18 captain, Barry made his Under-21 debut in 1998 against the Czech Republic and then broke into the full team. He made his full debut in England's impressive 1-1 draw with then-World and European Champions France in September 2000 and was expected to develop into a quality international player. However, he fell out of favour with Villa boss John Gregory in the summer of 2001 and handed in a transfer request - and was then dumped in the reserves.

Gregory's exit gave Barry a new lease of life, and new boss Graham Taylor gave him the chance to shine in that midfield role so many had predicted. His form continued into the 2002-03 season and Barry was one of the shining lights in an otherwise dull, and very forgettable, season for Aston Villa.

Impressing further under David O'Leary in 2003-04, Villa finished sixth in the League and opened talks over an extended contract at the end of the season, signing a deal to run until the summer of 2008.

In 2006-07, new manager Martin O'Neill recognised his talent and played him in the centre of midfield, where he blossomed. Captaining the club, Barry ended a four year international exile when he was called up by Steve McClaren in February 2007. His partnership with Steven Gerrard in midfield raised many eyebrows and Barry's stock continued to rise throughout the 2007-08 season where he enjoyed personal success, despite Villa failing to make it into the UEFA Cup.

Interest from Liverpool in the summer transfer window sparked Barry to ask for a transfer, but the Anfield club were unwilling to meet O'Neill's £18m price-tag. With a big-money move stalling, Barry was forced to stay at Villa Park after making it clear he would welcome a transfer to Anfield.

With just one year left on his contract it was thought the big clubs would come in again in the summer of 2009, but Manchester City beat them to the punch and signed him for £12m on a five-year deal thought to be worth £80,000-a-week - a decent price for an established international.