10 Players Relieved They Didn't Sign For Liverpool

9. Gareth Barry

It was one of the most painstakingly drawn out chapters of British transfer window history, as Rafa Benitez tirelessly attempted to wrestle Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry from their clutches. The Spaniard€™s insistence that he must lure the England midfielder to Anfield was a decision that irked many and had ramifications for a number of people. Villa boss Martin O€™Neill grew increasingly irritated by Benitez€™ attempts to unsettle his captain throughout the summer, Liverpool lynchpin Xabi Alonso grew disillusioned with his boss€™ apparent attempts to replace him and would leave the following summer, while Barry effectively would effectively soil his relationship with the Villa faithful by handing in a failed transfer request and refusing to play in order to force through a move - he would be gone within a year as well. With Liverpool finally have given up in their pursuit of the England midfielder and deciding to splurge most of their transfer kitty on £19 million man Robbie Keane, Barry was forced to meekly make amends with his hometown club, having very publicly just bitten the hand that fed him. While Villa enjoyed a fine campaign, finishing in sixth position, the inevitable happened the following summer when Barry called time on his Villa Park stay, penning a lucrative deal at Eastlands in a £12 million switch. The former Liverpool target would make 175 appearances for the club during his four seasons in Manchester, proving a pivotal cog in the City midfield as they romped to an FA Cup and a league title. Now at Liverpool€™s bitter Merseyside rivals Everton, the 33 year old Barry is still showing the Reds just exactly what they passed up when they decided to empty their kitty on ultimate flop Keane.