Everton striker Thierno Barry finally grabbed his first Premier League goal after 15 games in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest – and fans will be vying for him to continue that run of form throughout the campaign.
Everton had seen Thierno Barry work tirelessly up front, though goals were the only part of his game that were missing as Everton slowly climbed up the Premier League table.
That all changed against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, as he latched onto Iliman Ndiaye’s pass to slot home beyond Matz Sels – and it was a strike that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall labelled as one of the loudest moments he’s seen at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
But Barry has admitted that although fans have been generally supportive of him throughout the campaign, that dried up before the visit of the Tricky Trees.
Everton striker Thierno Barry.
Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images
Everton striker Thierno Barry tells fans not to message him after Nottingham Forest superstition
And, with the Frenchman finally scoring his first goal, Barry jokingly told Everton fans to stop messaging him as a good luck omen for his strike.
Speaking via Everton’s official X account, the summer signing answered after being asked how he was feeling following his goal: “I don’t know, everything! I think I wanted to cry, or maybe I’m too strong to cry.
“Everything when I scored, I’m like very happy and this is for the supporters.
Would signing a new striker ruin Barry’s development?
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“Every time I received a message on Instagram, they said ‘yeah, I feel today you will score’.
“Every last game they’ve said this, but with this game I received zero messages and I scored!
“So please don’t send me a message!”
His strike has put him level with Beto in the running for Everton’s starting striker role, and a similar performance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at the weekend could propel him to new heights.
Thierno Barry could continue to record double figures in the league for the fifth year running
Barry has been incredible at doing the dirty work for Everton. He won the most aerial duels of any player against Manchester United for a Premier League game this season two weeks ago, and although his build-up play has left a lot to be desired, his work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Dewsbury-Hall admitted that Barry had been ‘working his nuts off’ to get his first goal, and you could see the adulation amongst players and fans alike.
Will Barry really kick on now?
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Barry has played for five different clubs over the past five years, showcasing his rapid rise from France, to Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and now England.
He has notched at least double figures in each of those league campaigns across four countries, and although his goal tally at the Hill Dickinson Stadium hasn’t quite matched that yet, he has another 23 games to hit nine goals.
With one under his belt, it isn’t out of the question and the France under-21 international will be looking to kick on – without Everton supporters messaging him, of course.
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