Barry out to Baggie Ryan’s record
GARETH BARRY is set to smash the all-time Premier League appearance record after joining West Brom last night.
Everton’s former England midfielder had a medical at the Hawthorns yesterday and signed a one-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.
“I want to come and help the team. That has always been the same for me wherever I have played,” said the 36-year-old.
“I want to help the team improve, work hard and hopefully add quality.”
Barry is just five games away from overhauling Ryan Giggs’ milestone of 632 Premier League appearances after making his debut at the age of 17.
But while the Manchester United legend clocked up all his games at one club, Barry has had to move around.
His top-flight career has taken him to Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton a4he picked up 53 England caps along the way.
Baggies boss Tony Pulis has been hunting for a ready-made replacement for Darren Fletcher after his skipper became a free agent in the summer and
SPORT IN BRIEF
manager Ronald Koeman would have liked to hold on to Barry but the club’s summer spending has made competition for places fierce at Goodison Park, and the arrival of Gylfi Sigurdsson today from Swansea would have resulted in Barry falling even further down the pecking order.
Barry started his career at Brighton before joining Villa, where he made his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in 1998.
He has always baulked at any thought of bringing the curtain down on his playing career.
“I have spoken to a lot of friends who have retired and the only thing they say is you should play as long as you can,” he said recently. “I’ve always given 100 per cent in training. I’m not one for planning ahead Andrej Kramaric.”
Barry becomes the fourth new signing at West Brom this summer after the acquisitions of Jay Rodriguez, Zhang Yuning – who has been loaned out – and Ahmed Hegazi.
GIGGS’ NUMBER NEARLY UP Ryan Giggs Gareth Barry
632 628 opted to join Stoke. And the manager jumped at the chance to land Barry, a man with a reputation for being one of the best professionals in the business.
Pulis said: “There was a big void when we lost ‘Fletch’ and Gareth will fill that.
“He’s a fantastic player and his attitude towards playing is really gauged by the fact that Everton had
Frank Lampard David James Gary Speed
offered him a two-year contract to stay there. He really wants to play and I am really looking forward to working with him.”
The midfielder missed Everton’s opening game against Stoke last Saturday with a minor injury but the problem was not enough to hold up the deal.
Barry could be fit to make his debut when West Brom face Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday. Everton