PAUL Cook called him a student of football who lives for the game. Thomas Tuchel lauded his energy and passion. Fleetwood and Huddersfield both asked him to be their manager.
Anthony Barry is one of the most highly-rated coaches on the planet, a Champions League winner at Chelsea who spent the World Cup with Portugal and is now an integral part of Tuchel’s Bayern Munich staff.
Yet six years ago, the 36-year-old was a journeyman midfielder struggling to get a game for Wrexham in the National League.
“Nobody then would have guessed he’d end up at Bayern,” laughs James Jennings, who played with Barry in his final season at the Racecourse.
“I remember when he left Wrexham and got on the staff at Wigan, we thought ‘Wow, he’s done well for himself ’. What’s happened since is absolutely incredible but, in hindsight, the signs were there.
“On some of the long away trips I’d play cards with him on the back of the bus. He was always talking about stuff he was doing outside of football, whether it was investments or coaching badges or other bits and pieces.
“He had a portfolio of properties that he was managing while he was playing and he had loads of contacts. He was constantly networking and he was always very proactive. Just a very smart, switched-on guy.
“I think he was doing his A Licence at Wrexham, and as soon as that was done it was ‘Right, now I’m doing the Pro Licence’. He was one of the youngest people in the country to get on the course and to finish as early as he did - I think he was 31 when he retired - shows you how determined he was to succeed.”
Qualities
Denne historien er fra May 28, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra May 28, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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SHAKERS REVEL IN MAKING HISTORY
DAVE McNabb says Bury's FA Cup heroes are proud to be writing their own chapters in club history.
WILCOX: WE FEEL COMPLETE WITH WIN
RUSS WILCOX'S verdict after watching his Gainsborough Trinity side outmuscle and outplay their hosts was that it was \"probably our most complete performance\".
CRACKER BY KABIA TOPPLES TUDORS!
ASSISTANT boss Stewart Yetton said his Truro City side were good value for their win over table-toppers Hemel Hempstead Town.
BRAKES PUT STOP ON BORO BATTLERS
SEPARATED only by goal difference before kick-off, these sides remain neck and neck in the embryonic table after playing out 90 minutes in the October sunshine that was a great advert for the division.
BOSS COTT'S GOT A REALLY GOOD THING WITH ROVERS
STEVE Cotterill hailed Forest Green Rovers’ first class performance as they produced a spirited comeback to topple fellow high-flyers Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.
SKIPS STEER HEED'S SHIP
GATESHEAD captains of the past and present are playing a lead role in helping the National League club move on from the departure of FA Trophy-winning manager Rob Elliot.
FA CUP PREVIEW: SWEET! 'DREAM' DRAW IS CHANCE OF OUR LIFETIME
DAVE NORTHFIELD says minnows Biggleswade FC were like 'kids in a sweet shop' when they drew out York City in what he describes as the 'draw of a lifetime'.
PARKER'S HEART IS STILL AT HOME
FORMER England right-back Paul Parker has revealed he would never completely rule out a return to management – but says he would only do so for one of his beloved local clubs.
LOCALS RALLY TO REBUILD BRIDGE
WHEN committee members at Bamber Bridge set out to raise £30,000 to protect the club's future, they were apprehensive about the response they'd get.
RUTHLESS BEES FIND THEIR FEET
ASTERLING second-half performance resulted in league leaders Barnet brushing aside a Boston United outfit that led at the interval through Keaton Ward’s early strike.
