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In the past, Anthony Barry competed in League Two. Currently, he is focused on helping the England manager secure World Cup glory in the upcoming tournament. The road from player to coach started through volunteering with the youth team. Barry reflects, “It was in the evenings, third of a pitch, asked to do 11 v 11 … flat balls, not enough bibs,” and it captivated him. He had found his destiny.

Staggering Ascent

The coach's journey stands out. Commencing as Paul Cook’s assistant, he built a name for innovative drills and great man-management. His stints with teams led him to top European clubs, and he held international positions across multiple countries. He has worked with stars like top footballers. Currently, in the England setup, he's fully immersed, the top according to him.

“Dreams are the starting point … But I’m a believer that dedication shifts obstacles. You envision the goal but then you bring it down: ‘How can we achieve it, gradually?’ Our goal is the World Cup. But dreams won’t get it done. We have to build a methodical process enabling us for optimal success.”

Focus on Minutiae

Dedication, particularly on fine points, characterizes his journey. Putting in long hours under the sun—sometimes the moon, too, the coaching duo push hard at comfort zones. The approach feature player analysis, a plan for hot conditions for the World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and creating a unified squad. Barry emphasizes the national team spirit and dislikes phrases like “international break”.

“This isn't a vacation or a break,” he explains. “We had to build something where players are eager to join and, secondly, they feel so stretched that returning to club duty feels easier.”

Driven Leaders

He characterizes himself and the head coach as highly ambitious. “We aim to control each element of play,” Barry affirms. “We strive to own the whole ground and that’s what we spend many of our days on. We must 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.

“We get 50 days alongside the squad ahead of the tournament. We need to execute a sophisticated style that gives us a tactical advantage and we must clarify it during that time. It's about moving it from concept to details to understanding to action.

“To create a system that allows us to be productive in that window, we have to use the entire 500 days we'll have from when we started. When the squad is away, we have to build relationships with each player. We have to spend time communicating regularly, we need to watch them play, sense their presence. Relying only on those 50 days, it's impossible.”

World Cup Qualifiers

He is getting ready on the last two of World Cup qualifiers – facing Serbia at home and in Albania. They've already ensured qualification by winning all six games without conceding a goal. But there will be no easing off; on the contrary. This period to reinforce the team’s identity, to gain more impetus.

“Thomas and I are both pretty clear that our playing approach must reflect the best aspects about the Premier League,” Barry explains. “The athleticism, the versatility, the robustness, the integrity. The England jersey must be difficult to earn but light to wear. It ought to be like a superhero's cape not protective gear.

“To ensure it's effortless, it's crucial to offer a system that lets them to operate like they do every week, that connects with them and encourages attacking play. They should overthink less and more in doing.

“You can gain psychological edges you can get as a coach at both ends of the pitch – building from the defense, closing down early. Yet, in the central zone of the pitch, those 24 metres, we believe play has stagnated, particularly in the Premier League. Coaches have extensive data now. They know how to set up – defensive shapes. Our aim is to speed up play in that central area.”

Passion for Progress

The coach's thirst to get better is all-consuming. When he studied for the Uefa pro licence, he was worried about the presentation, especially as his class featured big names including former players. So, to build his skill set, he sought out the most challenging environments available to him to hone his presentations. Including a prison locally, and he trained detainees during an exercise.

He earned his license in 2020 at the top of the class, with his thesis – focusing on set-pieces, for which he analysed thousands of throw-ins – got into print. Lampard included won over and he brought Barry on to his staff at Stamford Bridge. After Lampard's dismissal, it was telling that the team dismissed most of his staff except Barry.

His replacement with the club became Tuchel, and, four months later, they claimed the Champions League. When he was let go, Barry remained under Graham Potter. But when Tuchel re-emerged in Germany, he brought Barry over from Chelsea to rejoin him. English football's governing body view them as a partnership similar to Southgate and Holland.

“I haven't encountered anyone like him {in terms of personality and methodology|in character and approach|