After a turbulent debut season, the French forward reveals the mental hurdles of adapting to England and his relentless drive to silence critics this season.
Everton striker Thierno Barry has briefly spoken out about his struggles in the Premier League last season and how he’s determined to turn things around.
Barry joined the club from Spanish side Villarreal last summer, and it’s been a difficult first campaign with the Toffees. The French striker was given opportunities in and out of the team by David Moyes, but struggled with consistency.
Barry was signed as a player for the long-term future, and it should never have been expected that he would instantly hit the ground running and be a top-level Premier League striker.
Young additions take time to settle, especially when moving to a new country with a young family and a different style of football.
This upcoming season will be the true test of Barry’s ability. Has he been able to settle in and adapt, and can he be the answer long-term for Everton in the centre-forward position?
In an Instagram post, seemingly as part of a bigger content project, Barry touches upon his opening season in England. The French forward admits he didn’t achieve his goals last season, but he’s someone who has always faced challenges throughout life.
“My whole life has been like this. My whole life I’ve had to fight for what I want. The worst thing for a striker who hasn’t achieved his goals during a season, it’s about getting your confidence back.
“Look at the mistakes you made this season on the pitch - how did you feel? [And] come back with the mentality to dominate.
“You always have to keep that joy of playing. Sometimes you forget it. And when you forget that, that’s when football becomes difficult.”
Barry also admits that you have to be clinical as a striker, making a reference to Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, praising him for scoring ‘tap-ins’.
“Every year you always face challenges. You just have to know how to overcome them. That’s the highest level. You have to be clinical.
“When you see people criticising [Erling] Haaland, saying he only scores tap-ins - he didn’t score 25 tap-ins. That’s the highest level of the Premier League.”
Barry appears to have been working hard before pre-season with personal coaching sessions, showing his true mentality. Barry’s mentality was questioned last season, and it’s now up to him to start proving people wrong.
Now Barry has had a period of settling in, getting used to a new country and a new league, it’s time for him to start showing people what he’s about.
There’s a reason Everton invested heavily in him last season, and it’s understandable that a player takes their time to adapt to a new club.
Everton need a long-term solution at centre-forward. At the moment, it is up in the air, but Barry truly has an opportunity to grab the shirt with both hands and make it his.
Can he do it? Well that remains to be seen, but he appears ready to make it work and prove to people why he’s the answer for the Toffees.