🔗 Share this article

A decade ago, Anthony Barry was playing at a lower division club. Today, he's dedicated on helping the head coach win the World Cup in 2026. The road from player to coach began through volunteering for Accrington's Under-16s. Barry reflects, “Nights, a small field, tasked with 11 vs 11 … poor equipment, limited resources,” and he fell in love with it. He realized his destiny.

Staggering Ascent

Barry's progression is incredible. Starting in a senior role at Wigan, he established a name with creative training and great man-management. His club career led him to elite sides, plus he took on international positions for Ireland, Belgium, and Portugal. He has worked with big names such as top footballers. Now, with England, it’s full-time, the top according to him.

“Everything starts with a dream … However, I hold that obsession can move mountains. You have the dream and then you plan: ‘How do we do it, day-by-day, step-by-step?’ We aim for World Cup victory. However, vision doesn't suffice. We must create a systematic approach so we can to have the best chance.”

Obsession with Details

Dedication, particularly on fine points, characterizes his journey. Working every hour day and night, he and Tuchel challenge limits. Their strategies involve mental assessments, a heat-proof game model ahead of the tournament in North America, and fostering teamwork. Barry emphasizes the England collective and rejects terms like “international break”.

“This isn't a vacation or a rest,” he explains. “It was vital to establish a setup where players are eager to join and where they're challenged that going back is a relief.”

Greedy Coaches

Barry describes himself and the head coach as extremely driven. “Our goal is to master all parts of the match,” he states. “We strive to own the entire field and we dedicate long hours toward. Our responsibility to not only anticipate with developments and to lead and set new standards. This is continuous with a mindset of solving issues. And to clarify complicated matters.

“There are 50 days with the players before the World Cup finals. We must implement a sophisticated style that gives us a tactical advantage and we must clarify it in our 50 days with them. It’s to take it from idea to information to know-how to performance.

“To create a system for effective use in the 50 days, it's crucial to employ the whole 500 we’ll have had since we took the job. In the time we don’t have the players, it's vital to develop bonds among them. We must dedicate moments on the phone with them, we have to see them in stadiums, sense their presence. Relying only on those 50 days, it's impossible.”

World Cup Qualifiers

The coach is focusing ahead of the concluding matches of World Cup qualifiers – facing Serbia at home and in Albania. The team has secured a spot in the tournament with six wins out of six and six clean sheets. But there will be no easing off; instead. Now is the moment to reinforce the team’s identity, for further momentum.

“The manager and I agree that our playing approach must reflect the best aspects of English football,” Barry explains. “The physicality, the flexibility, the strength, the honesty. The Three Lions kit needs to be highly competitive but comfortable to have on. It should feel like a cape and not body armour.

“To ensure it's effortless, we have to give them a style that allows them to operate like they do every week, that resonates with them and allows them to take the handbrake off. They must be stuck less in thinking and increase execution.

“There are emotional wins you can get as a coach in the first and final thirds – playing out from the back, attacking high up. Yet, in the central zone in that part of the ground, it seems football is static, especially in England's top flight. Everybody has so much information now. They can organize – structured defenses. Our aim is to increase tempo through midfield.”

Drive for Growth

His desire for improvement is relentless. While training for the top coaching badge, he was worried regarding the final talk, as his cohort contained luminaries such as Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick. So, to build his skill set, he entered tough situations available to him to improve his talks. Including a prison in Liverpool, where he coached prisoners for a training session.

He completed the course with top honors, with his thesis – about dead-ball situations, where he studied numerous set-plays – became a published work. Frank was one of those convinced and he hired Barry to his team at Stamford Bridge. When Frank was fired, it spoke volumes that the team dismissed nearly all assistants while keeping Barry.

Lampard’s successor at Chelsea took over, and shortly after, he and Barry won the Champions League. After Tuchel's exit, Barry stayed on under Graham Potter. Once Tuchel resurfaced with Bayern, he brought Barry over away from London and back alongside him. The Football Association see them as a double act similar to Southgate and Holland.

“Thomas is unique {in terms of personality and methodology|in character and approach|