From Accrington Stanley to England No. 2: Who Is the 'All-Round Good Egg' Barry?
Originally from Liverpool, Barry, now 38, enjoyed a 13-year career as a midfielder in the lower leagues of English football, representing clubs like Yeovil Town, Fleetwood Town, Accrington Stanley, and Wrexham, among others. A serious injury at 24 prompted him to pivot toward coaching, and five years later, he took the reins at Accrington Stanley's Under-16 squad in 2015.
Steve Curwood, the chief executive of Fleetwood Town, shared an interesting anecdote about Anthony Barry, the newly appointed assistant coach for England. "We attempted to hire Anthony as our manager," Curwood revealed. This occurred during a time when Frank Lampard had just departed Chelsea in January 2021, and Barry was keen to explore opportunities. However, he ended up remaining at Chelsea and developed a robust working relationship with Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded Lampard as manager. This connection led Tuchel to bring Barry along to Bayern Munich, and more recently, the new England manager appointed him as his assistant.
Originally from Liverpool, Barry, now 38, enjoyed a 13-year career as a midfielder in the lower leagues of English football, representing clubs like Yeovil Town, Fleetwood Town, Accrington Stanley, and Wrexham, among others. A serious injury at 24 prompted him to pivot toward coaching, and five years later, he took the reins at Accrington Stanley's Under-16 squad in 2015.
Reflecting on his early coaching experiences, Barry recalled, "I vividly remember my first session," speaking on the Euros Essential Football Podcast last June. "It was a Tuesday evening with around ten players, a third of a pitch, and not enough balls or bibs! But that night, I fell in love with coaching. I knew this was my true calling."
Fast forward nine years from those early days at Accrington Stanley, and Barry is now gearing up for the upcoming 2026 World Cup as he steps into his new role alongside Tuchel, starting on January 1, 2025.
