Louie Barry speaks out about ‘crazy’ exit from West Brom
Louie Barry has opened up on his “crazy” exit from West Brom for Barcelona in July 2019.
The then-teenager opted to move to Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and was able to get a first-hand look at the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez after doing so.
But in a controversial move, he joined Aston Villa – the club he supported growing up – just six months later. West Brom did not receive any compensation for Barry after it was ruled by FIFA that he had not been offered a scholarship by the Baggies.
Barca, meanwhile, received a little under £1million and could end up receiving over £3m with add-ons (The Athletic, 2 November 2021).
Speaking about the circumstances of his move to Barca, forward Barry – currently on loan with League Two Stockport County – told the Mirror (13 October): “It was crazy but when Barcelona come calling, there’s only one answer, isn’t there?
“The first few months went really well, I was playing week-in, week-out and doing well, but around Christmas time I became aware of Villa’s interest in bringing me home. I wasn’t homesick or anything, and I wouldn’t have left Barcelona for anyone else, but it was a chance to come home to my boyhood club – and I’m glad I did because a few weeks later, the Covid pandemic shut down everything.
“But I wouldn’t have missed that part of my life for anything. I used to watch Messi and all the superstars train on a neighbouring pitch – you could literally just wander over and watch them over the barrier.
“As they walked past you would think, ‘There’s Suarez, there’s Messi, there’s Griezmann…’ And it’s nice to see that so many of the lads I played with at La Masia have gone on to be part of the first-team squad now.
“If I go back to stories of my time there, I tend to talk about my time ‘in Spain’ – but it’s hard not to go name-dropping all those big stars into the conversation.”
Still rankles
Time, they say, heals all wounds.
And while that may be true is most scenarios, it is hard to ever imagine a time where this particular situation is ever properly forgiven.
Barry had spent over a decade in the Baggies’ academy and was tipped a player with an extremely bright future. That opinion was only compounded when Barcelona came calling.
His decision to depart for the glamour of Barcelona is, on the face of it, understandable. But the fact West Brom failed to receive a single penny after all the work they had done developing him is something that still stings.
What stings more is the fact he came back so soon and to Villa of all clubs. It remains to be seen just how far Barry can make it in the game, and he will have work to do to impress Unai Emery.
But it is a situation that undoubtedly still rankles with the Baggies faithful, and understandably so.
In other West Brom news, Carlos Corberan has spoken of his plan to manage Jeremy Sarmiento’s minutes at The Hawthorns.