Everton fans pay tribute to Gareth Barry

After Gareth Barry traded in the royal blue of Everton to go to West Bromwich Albion yesterday, we asked Everton fans a simple question.

The Premier League mark mentioned there is the record for most games played, with Barry sitting at 628 right now, four games behind Ryan Giggs. The Englishman would likely have broken the record at the Blues, but goes straight into a starting role at the Baggies who lost Darren Fletcher in the summer.

Along with the regular wit that normally accompanies tweets like this, there were some pretty relevant responses which will go a long way towards telling you how Barry was thought of by the Goodison faithful, and a fitting tribute to his yeoman-like service to Everton.

If there is one thing about Barry, is that he’s always a professional, plays the game the good old fashioned way. His pass distribution has always been intelligent while he is always dependable and gives 101%.

In fact, terms like class, professional and quality keep coming up whenever Barry’s name or play are mentioned. Seeing the #18 shirt in the midst of a melee on the pitch always brought a feeling of calm and composure to the team.

Booked of course is a tongue-in-cheek reference to his holding the record for the most number of yellow cards received in the Premier League.

Gentleman and loyal are also two terms that would not be out of place when describing this fine ambassador of the sport.

Barry could always be relied upon to jump in with a solid tackle as his sturdy form patrolled the area in front of the defence. Clever and underrated have been oft-used when referring to how he played the game, especially in the latter years.

Steadfast and consistency are hallmarks of the dependability mentioned above.

And what better way to finish this off than with the word superb, a testament to the way he plays the game and his service to Everton.

When he entered the Guiness Book of World Records last season for most Premier League games started, he gave this interview, and his humility shines through in his answers.

We leave you here with a compilation of his highlights from his time at Everton.

Gareth Barry, a players’ player, an Englishman’s Englishman and the ultimate professional - thank you.