10 Former Aston Villa Players They Could Do With Now
3. Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry never gets a particularly warm welcome whenever he returns to Villa Park these days, despite the former Villa captain having spent 12 years with the club and making 441 appearances for the first-team. In truth, he has nobody but himself to blame for the souring of his reputation at Villa Park following his refusal to accept the clubs line that he stay at the club when Liverpool came calling during the summer of 2008. The protracted transfer saga lasted for the entire summer and led to the captain refusing to play for the club which in turn resulted in the stripping of his armband before reluctantly being forced to spend another season with Martin ONeills side. He has since gone on to become a virtual ever-present for Roberto Mancinis Manchester City, playing 175 times in his four seasons at the club as they scooped an FA Cup and league title. He also cemented himself as an England regular, playing in the 2010 World Cup. Now at Everton, Barry is still showing his qualities in a deep-lying defensive role which allows Roberto Martinez expansive and attack-minded philosophy to ebb and flow. He may be turning 34 years of age in February but Barry is still one of the finest defensive midfielders in the English top-flight and would be a welcome addition to any team outside the top four.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
