Barry sad he never got chance ofVilla return

GARETH BARRY has revealed why his dream of an Aston Villa homecoming never happened – because the club didn’t want him.

Barry regularly asked his agent to sound out Villa about a move to Villa Park and would have loved to end his career in claret and blue.

But the former Holte End hero admitted there was “never any love coming back” from Villa when they were offered his services.

The 39-year-old midfielder hung up his boots in the summer after following his Villa career with spells at Man City, Everton and Albion.

His representatives contacted Villa, under the management of Paul Lambert, in 2013 before he joined the Toffees on loan from City, but nothing materialised.

Barry reveals all about the comeback that never was in an episode of Birmingham Live’s Claret & Blue podcast. Now working as a pundit, Barry spoke to C&B to promote BT Sport’s live coverage.

“It never got close,” admitted Barry, when quizzed on the emotional return he and the Villa Park faithful craved.

“I remember at certain times in my career, certainly when I left City and joined Everton, I always asked the question ‘Give Villa a call, are they interested in a midfielder?’

“But there was never any love coming back, which sort of surprised me because I still had plenty to offer at that point.

“I always thought I would play for Villa again at the end of my career and that’s why I always asked my agent to make the call, but there was never enough love or any love coming back – so put that on the record!

“The calls always went at the right time. I played in the Championship for West Brom so that was never a worry, but there were times where Villa were in a bad place.

“There were opportunities Villa could have signed me I felt, but it’s one of those. They were looking to go down a different road.”

It would have been a sensational return for Barry who left Villa Park under a cloud when he joined Man City in the summer of 2009.

After a transfer tussle involving Liverpool the previous year he knuckled down and performed admirably in his final season for Villa. But still his departure broke the hearts of the claret and blue faithful who had adored him since he burst onto the scene as a teenager in the laste 1990s.

He was booed on his first trip back to Villa Park with City, but over time Villa fans learned to forgive him and appreciate his time at their club rather than resenting his trophywinning next steps.

Barry did at least receive a fond farewell from Villa fans who gave him a standing ovation in Albion’s Championship win at Villa Park in February 2019.

He explained how much that send off meant to him: “That’s what I’ll leave in my head when I think of myself and Villa fans.”