Gareth Barry Equalled An All Time Premier League Record Today

He may not be one of the most glamorous or celebrated players in the Premier League, but Gareth Barry today equalled a historic record in the English top flight and, barring injury, will make Premier League history next week during West Bromwich Albion's trip to Arsenal.

As he stepped onto the pitch at the Hawthorns today, Barry made his 632nd appearance in the Premier League, equalling Ryan Giggs' record that the Welshman has held since his retirement in 2013.

And while a 0-0 home draw with West Ham may not have been the most memorable way to equal history, Barry once again proved why he is one of the most underrated players in the league's 25 year history, with another assured display.

At 36 years of age, Barry is still a regular starter in a league that has become more and more dominated by pace and strength in recent years. In fact, only last season the England international was named Everton's player of the season after making 34 appearances for the Toffees in all competitions.

Barry made his Premier League debut at the age of 18, in 1998 during a game against Sheffield Wednesday, starting out as a central defender. He would move into midfield in the years that followed, becoming one of Villa's most important players and earning the captain's armband in the process.

In 2009, Barry ended his 11 year association with Villa, joining Manchester City in a £12 million deal. The England international would win his first silverware (if you discount his 2000 Intertoto Cup victory with Villa, anyway) during his four seasons at the Etihad Stadium, helping City to the 2011 FA Cup and 2012 Premier League title.

The 36-year-old would join Everton, initially on loan, in 2013, before securing a permanent move to Goodison Park a year later, where he would once again become a regular fixture in another Premier League side, making 155 appearances for the Merseyside club, scoring five times.

Now with West Brom, it's anyone's guess as to when Barry will finally hang up his boots, although there doesn't seem to be any signs that he's willing to do so in the forseeable future.

Topics: Football, West Bromwich Albion, Premier League

Joe Baiamonte

Northerner. Assistant Editor of SPORTbible. Studied Journalism and Broadcasting in a portakabin on a car park of Salford University for three years. Believes football peaked with Serie A in the '90s and strong-arms pro wrestling references into as many articles as possible. Neymar once took 50 euros off me during a game of poker.

@JoeBaia