I want to be roarin’ in my forties
BAGGIES STAR’S BID TO JOIN ELITE VETERANS CLUB GARETH BARRY
GARETH BARRY holds the record for the most appearances in the Premier League – and don’t bet against him extending it.
That was the defiant message from one of football’s quiet men as the latest chapter in his 22-year career opened this week.
Following a lengthy knee injury, the former England international made his return to West Brom’s first team, just three months shy of his 39th birthday.
With 653 Premier League appearances, Barry (above) is 21 ahead of Ryan Giggs. Only Liverpool’s James Milner – on 526 – is anywhere near catching him.
And, should the Baggies be successful in their quest to return to the top flight this term, their evergreen midfielder will bust a gut to join that exclusive club of 40-something outfield players.
He said: “I’ve not thought about it, but, if things go well this year and I still feel good, then why not?
“I certainly wouldn’t shoot that down. My aim is to go on for as long as possible. I’d have known if it was time to retire when I got back out there with the lads. If I’d felt miles off it, I’d have quit during training and not bothered coming back.
“But I got out there and it felt good. I felt fine after a few games. I’m sure, when it’s time to call it a day, it will hit me in the face, but I’m not there yet.”
Did he think, after stepping into the big time as a fresh-faced teenager with John Gregory’s Aston Villa, that he would still be here, 22 years later?
“No, I didn’t,” he said. “When I signed a five-year contract at Manchester City, I didn’t think I’d be playing for long after that. I’m lucky I can still keep playing at my age because other players have had to retire for different reasons.
“And it helps that the gaffer (Slaven Bilic, below) has been honest with me. He said if I could prove my fitness, then there would be a contract for me. He stuck to his word.
“As soon as I got the call to go out there last week against Sheffield Wednesday, the heart was pumping again. I really enjoyed it.
“I can’t play 90 minutes week after week, every two or three days. The manager will know my role, whether it’s coming off the bench or starting for an hour. He will know what I’m capable of. I know my stats and fitness are as good as they were 10 years ago.”
And what of the nearest challenger to his crown, former Villa team-mate Milner? “In terms of mental strength, we’d be similar,” he said. “We are competitors. When it comes to training, we don’t give up easily or let someone else have our shirt.
“At Liverpool he’s not really playing regularly, so he’ll be in at the manager, chewing his ears off to play. He’ll be desperate to prove himself. That’s why I’m still here. I still want to be the best player I can be.”
Asked to name the three best players he has played with or against, Barry revealed only two.
Top was David Silva. “He adapted so well to the Premier League. The lads in the dressing room said to each other, ‘He’s too small for this, he ain’t gonna cope’, but he’s been superb for the past 10 years,” said Barry.
And second was Steven Gerrard. “He could have played anywhere. He had everything – tackling, shooting, passing. He’d have been brilliant even at right-back.
“The third I’ll leave to my book.”