Big Interview: George Berry loved his golden years

He was a tough-tackling centre-half, who wore his heart firmly on his sleeve – an industrious player.

Berry did not take what he had for granted, his passion was there for all to see.

And it was that passion which made him a fans’ favourite during his six years at Wolves, and eight at Stoke City.

At Wolves from 1976-82 and then Stoke until 1990, he also spent time at Doncaster, Peterborough, Preston, Aldershot and Stafford Rangers.

The 60-year-old looks back on his career with a lot of fondness, and said: “I did 24 pre-seasons so I’m happy.”

And he joked: “To be fair, thank God for muscle memory. If it wasn’t for that, I’d be a bit overweight now!”

On top of a fine club career, Berry also has five Wales caps.

That was not the only country he could have played for, though.

Berry was born in Rostrup, Germany, in 1957 – to a Welsh mother and Jamaican father.

The family then moved to Blackpool, where he grew up before starting out his career at Wolves.

He chose Wales and is immensely proud to have played internationally.

And in rather fitting fashion, his first appearance for Wales was in 1979 – losing 2-0 to West Germany.

His last came almost four years later, losing 2-1 to England.

On playing for Wales, Berry said: “It’s the biggest accolade you can get because you then become one of the best eleven footballers – and the best in that position – in the country.

“What more can you say? That’s it.”

Berry was at his pomp at a time when racism remained rife in the game. As Wolves’ centre-half, he had an on-pitch rivalry with late Albion striker Cyrille Regis.

They were friends off the pitch, though, both credited with breaking down barriers for black players.

Regis died nearly three weeks ago at the age of 59 and his funeral was held on Tuesday. Berry recently paid tribute to the one third of the ‘Three Degrees’ – completed by Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson.

He described Regis as a ‘colossus both on and off the pitch’.

Both of the Black Country derbies in the 1979/80 Division One campaign finished 0-0.

Wolves ended that season sixth, four places above Albion, and lifted the League Cup. They won 1-0 against previous holders – and European Champions – Nottingham Forest, in front of 96,527 supporters at Wembley.

Andy Gray scored the winner in the 67th minute – prodding in following a mix-up between Forest goalkeeper Peter Shilton and defender David Needham.

Wolves got past Burnley, Crystal Palace, QPR, Grimsby and Swindon to get to the final.

It was a phenomenal journey for John Barnwell and his players.

And it was the one and only trophy Berry won in his career.

“That day will live me forever. It was a long time ago, but it was a great day,” he said.

“It’s one of the standout moments in my career. My testimonial was one, my debut for Wolves – against Chelsea – was one.

“Obviously, the final is up there because there are some great players who never went to Wembley.

“And I was lucky because I wasn’t a great player, but I was an industrious player. To be on the winning sid, it was great.”

Since hanging up his boots in 1995, Berry has kept himself involved in the game.

He has been working for the Professional Footballers’ Association for the past two decades.

Explaining his role, Berry said: “I’ve been at the PFA for 20 years now.

“I’m the commercial director for the north. My colleague, Colin Hill, is the commercial director for the south.

“We work together, basically, to try to bring sponsorship money in and we do collective deals – you look at the players, look at their lifestyles, bring partners in.

“It’s all about giving benefits to the players, that’s what I do.”

At Wolves, Berry played with the likes of John Richards, Kenny Hibbitt, Derek Parkin, Mel Eves and Willie Carr.

Nowadays, the likes of Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota, Ivan Cavaleiro, Leo Bonatini and Willy Boly are pushing for promotion to the top flight.

And Berry is delighted Wolves are on their way to being back ‘where they belong’.

When asked if he sees any similarities between the cup-winning side he was in and the current crop, Berry insisted he ‘wouldn’t even dream’ of comparing sides from different eras.

He feels the game has completely changed since the 1980 triumph at the old Wembley.

“I think it is very difficult to compare, generation to generation,” said Berry.

“Was Maradona the best player? Was Pele the best player? Was Johan Cruyff the best player?

“The fact of the matter is, I’m just happy to see Wolves where they should be – at the top of the table, playing well and destroying teams.

“When they beat Villa 2-0 earlier in the season, I was so happy – we hated Villa when I played.

“You just want them back in the Premier League, that is all that matters. It is where they belong, that’s what I wish for.”

He added: “But to compare that team to this team, I wouldn’t even dream of doing it.

“It’s a different game altogether now.”