Barry laments 'dirty player' label
Gareth Barry will be delighted to break a positive Premier League record on Monday night after previously being known for receiving the highest amount of yellow cards.
The 36-year-old midfielder will receive plaudits when he surpasses Ryan Giggs' 632 Premier League appearances at the Emirates on Monday night but he says he is still frustrated at being labelled a dirty player because of the 121 bookings he has picked up over his long career, a figure which is much higher than anyone else in the 25-year history of the Premier League.
Barry said: "I’m definitely not a hard man. I would like to go through the bookings and see what they were actually for. I don’t think there were too many crunching tackles in there, more tactical fouls I think.
"I think the collection of yellow cards will come from a period of time from the end of my Villa days to leaving Everton last summer. If I'm in a expansive, open, attacking team, you are out there as a defensive midfielder to make these tackles.
"It depends on what team you're in. I've not collected a booking this season at West Brom. When you're in a compact side where the opposition has less space, you don't need to get the yellow cards."
Comparing his record to the number of games he has played is far more favourable for Barry, as his ratio of one caution every 5.3 matches is much less than the rest of the 10 most booked players in Premier League history, a list which includes Lee Bowyer and Wayne Rooney.
Barry is likely to get a big ovation from both sets of fans for the impressive achievement, although Giggs also made 40 appearances in the old First Division.
Tony Pulis signed the former England midfielder from Everton in the summer and he thinks Barry deserves the record.
"It is a remarkable achievement, I don't think it will get beaten. Certainly, I think he will hold it for a long time and he deserves it," Pulis said.
"I've thought from a distance what a fantastic player he's been. Now being around him, I can see why other managers and supporters have taken to him.
"Ryan played in the First Division as well so I think he's still in front, but don't tell Gareth I said that, I am sticking up for a Welshman! Gareth is so down to earth, he will be probably be looking forward to all this attention being over."