Everton manager Roberto Martinez has praised Gareth Barry, calling him a “special breed” and has suggested that the former England international can have an extended Premier League career, similar to Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.
Barry is currently 34-years-old and has another 18 months left on his Everton contract, but Martinez has hinted that the midfielder could carry on playing past that date.
Martinez, when asked when he feels Barry will call time on his career said:
I don’t think you can answer that. But [Giggs and Scholes] are a very special breed, not just because of the natural element but also the lifestyle and the way they live the game. Football is a passion and Gareth is that type.
The Spaniard was also keen to praise Barry’s professionalism and commitment by saying that he has done well to stay at a peak level of fitness, even as his career is drawing to a close.
Everything he does, he does for a purpose, the way he trains is as a leader, he is an inspiration to the other players and he could go on and on and on until the body has enough.
It is impossible to know when that will be but he is a very, very fit footballer, but he plays with his brain and his technical ability allows the others to be effective around him and for me he doesn’t get the credit he deserves from the outside.
But he is very much valued here and we know how important he is and clearly, he can play for a few more seasons at the level he is playing.
Martinez admitted that he does not know when the former Aston Villa and Manchester City man will decide to hang up his boots, but he did point out that finding a replacement for the stand-in skipper will not be easy.
Players like Gareth Barry don’t come along that often and you always need to keep an eye out because it is such an important player. And the only way you can replace a player like Gareth Barry is changing your way of playing and getting two or three players in to do certain jobs on the pitch to help you towards that.
