Tony Pulis hails 'fantastic' Gareth Barry as he prepares to equal record
Tony Pulis has paid tribute to Gareth Barry with the Albion midfielder poised to equal Ryan Giggs’ all-time Premier League appearance record.
Saturday’s fixture with West Ham at The Hawthorns is set to be the 36-year-old’s 632nd Premier League outing, matching the number of Manchester United legend Giggs.
Barry, who made his debut for Villa against Sheffield Wednesday in May 1998, joined the Baggies for £800,000 from Everton during the summer.
And Pulis said: “It is a wonderful achievement, we have only just had him a few weeks.
“I have always rated him as a player but you don’t realise how good he is until you actually work with him.
“Managers who have had him for longer periods are better versed talking about Gareth than myself.
“But he has been absolutely fantastic for us, he is a great lad off the pitch, he has mixed in really well with the rest of the lads and has been our best player in nearly all the games we have played so far.
“He is a top person and a top player. You don’t play that many games without being extremely useful.”
Barry made 365 top flight appearances for Aston Villa, after making his debut as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday in 1998, before playing 132 times in the top flight for Manchester City, with whom he won the Premier League in 2012.
He featured 131 times for Everton and has so far played three games for the Baggies. Barry has also been capped 53 times for England.
Asked if the midfielder is somewhat under-rated, Pulis said: “I think if you speak to the supporters who have supported the club Gareth has played for they will always tell you that he has been an outstanding performer for them - and a consistent performer.
“We are very, very pleased to have him and it’s a privilege to work with him.”
