Barry set to celebrate

The fairytale rise for the St Leonards youngster continued when Kevin Keegan yesterday named him in the squad for the Wembley friendly.

The cultured Aston Villa defender will become the first Sussex-born footballer to earn a full England cap since the war, if Keegan includes him in the starting line-up.

The last full English international from the county was Cuckfield-born Albion striker Tommy Cook who faced Wales in 1925.

Barry, who attended the Seagulls' Centre of Excellence and is a former Sussex Schools and Hastings Schools player, is looking forward to creating history.

He said: "It's a boyhood dream to be selected.

"I've already trained with the full England squad. I did that last year when Glenn Hoddle was manager, so I've got an idea of what it is all about. It was a great experience training with the best players in the country.

"The fact I've been picked for the squad now, though, is very exciting."

Barry's career has gone into orbit in the two years since he left Albion at under-16s after five years with the club.

Villa manager John Gregory, the former Albion midfielder, threw him into the first team at 17 and within months he earned the first of four England under-21 caps. Last year he captained England under-18s against Cyprus at Brisbane Road.

Barry, precociously talented with an icy coolness, knows luck has smiled on him

He said: "I've been very fortune in my career all the way through.

"Playing alongside the likes of Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu and being part of one of the best defences in the country at Aston Villa has been a huge boost. Any defender would look good playing alongside players of that quality.

"A lot of credit should go to John Gregory, too, for giving me the chance so early."

Barry, a former pupil at William Parker, Hastings, enjoyed his time with Albion. He was based at the Seagulls Centre at Seaford and was managed by Les Rogers from under-11s to under-16s.

He said: "I certainly appreciate what people did for me at Brighton. I remember the coaches like Steve Avory, Vic Bragg, Dave Sargent and Roy Young and there was Les, of course.

"It was a good base for me. I was mainly midfielder who liked going forward. But they worked on my defensive side. They even played me at left-back so it was a decent grounding for my current position.

"Of course I appreciate all the support I got from my team-mates . And that goes for my time playing with Sussex Schools, Hastings and William Parker. It all helped."

The former England under-16s skipper picked out the English Schools Trophy win by Parker as a major early boost.

Barry, who hit home a spot-kick in a penalty shoot out in the final, said: "It was great for the school. It was my major football highlight up to then.

"I remember after the shoot-out all diving on the surface together. It was very wet and my kit got very soggy!

"It hapened just before I joined Aston Villa and my head was spinning. I remember having to forget football for a while to concentrate on my school exams.

"But within a year I was playing in the Premiership with Aston Villa. That was another dream come true."

Rogers believes Barry Could solve England's left-side problem.

He said: "There is a shortage and there is a saying that if you are good enough you are old enough. I hope it's not being rushed too fast for him but he is such a down to earth, calm boy and has coped with each new level he has gone up.

"I was planning to go to Fulham to watch him in the England under-21s but I'll have to change my plans. Perhaps I can get a ticket for Wembley.

"Firstly Gareth and his family must be very proud and secondly all his coaches at Albion,, his school, his mates his teammates, everyone can feel very proud by association.

"I feel at Albion we all did our bit. It's all happened so quickly I still feel he's with us!"

Seagulls director of youth Martin Hinshelwood is delighted that Barry has shown that Albion have produced a full England squad player.

He said: "Gareth has come on well . It's a credit to the coaching staff we had with him that we gave him some good habits. He's blossomed quickly . He's a quality player and the fact he has a good left foot will help him with England.

"Obviously Villa's coaching has taken him on but what we did for him didn't do him any harm.

"We're delighted for him and wish him all the luck in the world."

Barry's club and housemate Michael Standing, the Villa reserve midfielder from Hove, believes his pal WILL start against Argentina .

Standing, an English Schools under-15 star who played in the same Albion team as Barry, said: "He'll play. I've got no inside information from Mr Keegan but he's the best footballing fullback in the country. He's playing so well. It's all been a bit of a fairytale for him and this is the biggest one, but he'll cope."

Parker's Head of PR Ian Gillespie coached Barry at school.

He said : "I hope Gareth's got some tickets for Wembley! He's had a brilliant season. It's unbelievable that he's already made about 50 first team appearances and played on every premier ground.

He's done so well. He has learned so quickly and this season has put in good, solid, consistent perfomances.

He always showed his dedication at school. He would never miss a training session and played for everybody, the school, the district the county. He loved it.

"But he's a good all round sportsman. He played rugby and cricket. He was a superb cricketing all rounder. Michael Yardy who has just signed for Sussex was his cricket captain.

"But as a footballer he was always capable of moving up a level and looking like he had played at that level all his life. His temperment is superb. Nothing fazed him and it's the same now.

"It's amazing how fast it's all gone. He keeps in touch and pops in occasionally. He was a very popular ."

The family, of course, are proud of their boy.

His mum Linda said: "It's wonderful. We've had lots of calls from friends and fans saying congratulations even before the squad was announced.'

Barry's Villa team and international squad mate Gareth Southgate, born in Watford but raised in Crawley, is the last player with a Sussex connection to be capped.

Steve Foster, who lives in Hove, played in the 1982 World Cup when he was with Albion.

And before that Peter Bonetti, born in Putney and raised in Brighton, played in the 1970 World Cup.

Barry can put the county on the map countrywide again

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