ITS OVER!! Gareth Barry Retires From Football At Age 39

Stephen Godonu – 

Former Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton midfielder Gareth Barry has retired from professional football at 39.

Barry – who made a record 653 Premier League appearances – played his final game in March this year, when he featured in West Brom’s 3-2 FA Cup defeat to Newcastle United at the Hawthorns, one of six games he played for the Baggies last season.

Those matches took his number of senior games to 833, in a career spanning 23 years but one which has now come to an end. He scored 67 goals in that time.

Barry spent the first 12 years of his career with Aston Villa before a £12m move to Manchester City, with whom he won the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League the following season.

After being a regular in England youth teams, Barry made his senior national team debut against Ukraine in May 2000 and was named in Kevin Keegan’s squad for Euro 2000 but did not play a game at the tournament.

The midfield player won 53 international caps for England, scoring three goals.

In 2013, Barry moved to Everton, initially on loan and then on a permanent deal and was named the club’s player of the season in the 2015-16 campaign.

West Brom became Barry’s fourth – and eventually final – club in August 2017.