Gareth Barry: Aston Villa will always mean a lot to me

Barry, who recently returned from injury, will be hoping to feature when the Baggies host their West Midlands rivals at The Hawthorns on Friday week.

The 37-year-old made 441 appearances during 12 years at Villa Park, before making a £12million switch to Manchester City in 2009.

Though the manner of his departure left a sour taste in the mouths of some supporters, Barry insists the club which “made him a man” will always remain special.

He said: “To join the club (Villa) at 16, I had 12 years there really, it will always mean a lot to me because you’ve grown from a boy into a man." he told SkyBet.

“I captained the club as well and still have a lot of good friends from around the Birmingham area, so it means a lot.”

Barry, who was a trainee at Brighton before joining Villa, made his debut in May 1997 aged just 17. Current England boss Gareth Southgate was among his team-mates.

He said: “There was some really big names at the club really for me to learn under, Gareth being one.

“To play alongside him, he really showed me how to become a footballer on and off the pitch and was someone to look up to.”

Barry quickly established himself as a vital part of John Gregory’s team, scoring a penalty as Villa beat Bolton on route to the 2000 FA Cup final.

He said: “That was a fantastic year for me because I was still young and playing regularly in the Premier League.

“You’re riding a wave really and to finish the season by reaching a cup final was fantastic, I was obviously really nervous at a young age.

“It was the last one at Wembley as well, so to feature in that was really special. Unfortunately we couldn’t win the game on the day, but it was a good experience for me. You sort of think these things are going to come around regularly, you probably take them for granted but it was a great moment.”