Gareth Barry facts for kids
Barry with Everton in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gareth Barry | ||
| Date of birth | 23 February 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Hastings, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1997 | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| 1997–1998 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2009 | Aston Villa | 365 | (41) |
| 2009–2014 | Manchester City | 132 | (6) |
| 2013–2014 | → Everton (loan) | 32 | (3) |
| 2014–2017 | Everton | 99 | (2) |
| 2017–2020 | West Bromwich Albion | 52 | (2) |
| 2024–2025 | Hurstpierpoint | 2 | (1) |
| Total | 682 | (55) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–1998 | England U16 | 6 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | England U18 | 5 | (0) |
| 1998–2003 | England U21 | 27 | (2) |
| 2007 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2012 | England | 53 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gareth Barry, born on February 23, 1981, is a famous English former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder, a position that helps protect the team's defense. Barry holds the record for the most Premier League appearances in history, with 653 games. He played for top clubs like Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton, and West Bromwich Albion. He also proudly represented his country, England, in international matches.
Barry started his career at Aston Villa as a young player and stayed there for 12 years. He even became the team's captain. He is one of Aston Villa's top players for the number of games played. Later, he moved to Manchester City, where he won the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League title in 2012. After a successful time at Everton, he finished his career at West Bromwich Albion, retiring in 2020. Barry played for England 53 times and was part of the squads for UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Gareth Barry's Club Football Journey
Starting Strong at Aston Villa
Gareth Barry joined Aston Villa as a young trainee in 1997. His transfer from Brighton and Hove Albion involved some discussions about the transfer fee. He quickly moved up from the youth teams. Barry played his first senior game for Villa on May 2, 1998. He scored his first professional goal in April 1999.
He played in the 2000 FA Cup Final at the old Wembley Stadium, though Villa lost that match. In 2001, he helped Villa win the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup, an important European competition. By November 2007, at just 26 years old, Barry was recognized for his 10 years at the club. He became the youngest player to reach 300 Premier League games in October 2007.
In May 2008, Liverpool showed interest in buying Barry. He wanted to join them to play in the UEFA Champions League. This caused some disagreements with his manager and the club. Despite the transfer talks, Barry remained an Aston Villa player. He even scored in a UEFA Cup game against Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar. In September 2008, he played his 400th game for Villa. He eventually played 441 games for Aston Villa, scoring 52 goals.
Winning Titles with Manchester City
On June 2, 2009, Barry signed a five-year contract with Manchester City. He moved for a fee of £12 million. Some Aston Villa fans were disappointed, but Barry explained he was looking for a "new challenge." He made his debut for City in a 2–0 win against Blackburn Rovers.
Barry scored his first Premier League goal for City against Manchester United in September 2009. He also scored in a League Cup match against Fulham. In 2011, Barry started in the 2011 FA Cup Final, where City beat Stoke 1–0. The following season, 2011–12, was historic for Manchester City. Barry played 34 Premier League games as the team won the league title, their first in 44 years! In December 2012, he faced a penalty for a disagreement with a match official.
Key Midfielder at Everton
On September 2, 2013, Barry joined Everton on a season-long loan. He quickly became a fan favorite, making his debut on September 15. Later that month, Barry reached a huge milestone: he became the 10th player in Premier League history to make 500 career appearances. He scored his first goal for Everton in October. Barry became a crucial part of Everton's midfield, helping the club achieve a record 72 Premier League points that season. He received 10 yellow cards, which was the most for the club that season.
After his successful loan, Barry permanently moved to Everton on July 8, 2014. On December 26, he made history again by becoming the first player to receive 100 yellow cards in the Premier League. In February 2015, he was sent off in a game against Chelsea after a foul, which led to a brief confrontation. He was also sent off in a match against Arsenal in October 2015.
In March 2016, during an FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea, Barry was involved in an incident with Diego Costa, who was sent off. Barry himself was later sent off in the same game. In May 2016, he set a new record by starting his 572nd Premier League game. On September 17, 2016, Barry became only the third player (after Ryan Giggs and Frank Lampard) to make 600 Premier League appearances. He even scored in that game against Middlesbrough!
Finishing Strong at West Bromwich Albion
On August 15, 2017, Barry joined West Bromwich Albion. He made his debut four days later in a 1–0 win against Burnley. On September 25, Barry captained West Brom and made his 633rd Premier League appearance. This broke Ryan Giggs' record of 632, making Barry the player with the most Premier League appearances ever!
After an injury, Barry left West Brom in July 2019. However, he re-signed with the club in November 2019 and played until the end of the 2019–20 season.
Life After Professional Football
Barry officially announced his retirement from professional football on August 27, 2020. He continued to play for a veterans' team called Comberton Dynamoes Veterans.
In July 2024, Barry joined Hurstpierpoint, a local team in the Mid Sussex League Championship. He made his debut for Hurstpierpoint on February 8, 2025, and scored his first goal for the club on March 1, 2025. Barry did not return to play for the 2025–26 season.
Gareth Barry's International Career with England
Barry first played for England at the under-16 level, then the under-18s. He made his England under-21 debut in 1998 and played 27 games for them, which was a record at the time.
He was first chosen for the senior England team by manager Kevin Keegan. Barry made his England debut as a substitute in a friendly match against Ukraine on May 31, 2000. He was part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2000.
After a break from the senior team, Barry was recalled to the England squad in February 2007. He played in central midfield for England against Israel and Russia in September 2007, playing very well and assisting two goals. He was even named man of the match for the game against Estonia.
Barry scored his first international goal against Trinidad and Tobago on June 1, 2008. He also had the honor of captaining England in the second half of that game. He scored his second international goal against Kazakhstan in June 2009.
He was selected for the 23-man England squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played in three games during the tournament. On November 12, 2011, he earned his 50th cap for England in a win over Spain. Just a few days later, on November 15, 2011, Barry scored England's 2,000th international goal in a friendly match against Sweden.
Barry was chosen for the England squad for UEFA Euro 2012. However, he had to withdraw from the tournament due to a groin injury he picked up in a friendly match.
Gareth Barry's Personal Life
Gareth Barry married his childhood sweetheart, Louise, in 2007. He is best friends with Michael Standing, who also signed for Aston Villa on the same day as him in 1997. They have known each other since they were ten years old. Barry's nephew, Bradley Barry, is also a professional footballer. Since 2019, Barry has also played cricket for Temple Grafton Cricket Club.
Gareth Barry's Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aston Villa | 1997–98 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 37 | 2 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | — | 44 | 1 | |||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 38 | 1 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 44 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 36 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 43 | 4 | |||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 34 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 8 | |||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 36 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 42 | 6 | |||
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 35 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 9 | |||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 37 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 9 | |||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 38 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | — | 48 | 8 | ||
| Total | 365 | 41 | 21 | 3 | 29 | 4 | 26 | 4 | — | 441 | 52 | |||
| Manchester City | 2009–10 | Premier League | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 43 | 3 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 47 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 2 | |
| Total | 132 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 175 | 8 | ||
| Everton (loan) | 2013–14 | Premier League | 32 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 3 | ||
| Everton | 2014–15 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 44 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 2 | |||
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 131 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 155 | 5 | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2017–18 | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | Championship | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | Championship | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| Total | 52 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 61 | 2 | |||
| Hurstpierpoint | 2024–25 | Mid Sussex League Championship | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 682 | 55 | 51 | 4 | 46 | 5 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 834 | 68 | ||
International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2000 | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 53 | 3 | |
England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Barry goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1 June 2008 | Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |  Trinidad and Tobago |
|
|
Friendly |
| 2. | 6 June 2009 | Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan |  Kazakhstan |
|
|
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3. | 15 November 2011 | Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom |  Sweden |
|
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Friendly |
Gareth Barry's Football Honours
Aston Villa
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2011–12
- FA Cup: 2010–11; runner-up 2012–13
Individual Awards
- Everton Player of the Season: 2015–16
- Everton Players' Player of the Season: 2015–16
See also
In Spanish: Gareth Barry para niños
