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In the past, the England assistant coach competed in League Two. Now, his attention is fixed on helping the England manager win the World Cup in 2026. His journey from athlete to trainer started as an unpaid coach with the youth team. Barry reflects, “Evening sessions, a partial pitch, organizing 11-a-side … deflated balls, scarce bibs,” and it captivated him. He realized his destiny.

Rapid Rise

Barry's progression has been remarkable. Starting with his first major job, he established a name with creative training and strong interpersonal abilities. His club career led him to elite sides, plus he took on international positions for Ireland, Belgium, and Portugal. He has worked with stars like Thiago Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo. Currently, in the England setup, he's fully immersed, the “pinnacle” in his words.

“All begins with a vision … However, I hold that passion overcomes challenges. You envision the goal but then you bring it down: ‘How can we achieve it, gradually?’ Our goal is the World Cup. But dreams won’t get it done. It's essential to develop a structured plan so we can to maximize our opportunities.”

Obsession with Details

Dedication, particularly on fine points, is central to his philosophy. Working every hour all the time, they both challenge limits. Their methods involve psychological profiling, a strategy for high temperatures for the finals abroad, and fostering teamwork. The coach highlights the England collective and dislikes phrases such as "break".

“You’re not coming here for a holiday or a rest,” Barry notes. “We had to build something that attracts the squad and where they're challenged that it’s a breather.”

Greedy Coaches

He characterizes himself along with the manager as “very greedy”. “We want to dominate each element of play,” he states. “We want to conquer the entire field and that’s what we spend long hours toward. We must not just to keep up of the trends and to lead and set new standards. It's an ongoing effort focused on finding solutions. And it’s to make the complex clear.

“We get 50 days together with the team prior to the World Cup. We must implement a complex game for a tactical edge and we have to make it so clear in that period. It’s to take it from idea to information to know-how to performance.

“To create a system that allows us to be productive during the limited time, we must utilize all the time available from when we started. During periods without the team, it's vital to develop bonds with each player. We have to spend time in calls with players, we have to see them in stadiums, sense their presence. If we just use the 50 days, we won't succeed.”

Final Qualifiers

He is getting ready for the final pair of World Cup qualifiers – against Serbia at Wembley and in Albania. England have guaranteed qualification by winning all six games with perfect defensive records. However, they won't relax; on the contrary. This period to build on the team's style, to maintain progress.

“Thomas and I are both pretty clear that our playing approach must reflect everything that is good of English football,” Barry explains. “The athleticism, the adaptability, the strength, the work ethic. The Three Lions kit must be difficult to earn yet easy to carry. It must resemble a cloak and not body armour.

“To ensure it's effortless, it's crucial to offer a style that allows them to operate similar to weekly matches, that resonates with them and encourages attacking play. They should overthink less and focus more on action.

“You can gain psychological edges you can get as a coach in attack and defense – building from the defense, pressing from the front. However, in midfield of the pitch, those 24 metres, we believe play has stagnated, particularly in the Premier League. All teams are well-prepared currently. They can organize – structured defenses. Our aim is to speed up play through midfield.”

Drive for Growth

The coach's thirst for improvement is relentless. While training for the top coaching badge, he felt anxious about the presentation, since his group featured big names such as Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick. To enhance his abilities, he went into the most challenging environments he could find to practise giving them. One was HMP Walton in his home city of Liverpool, where he also took inmates during an exercise.

He completed the course in 2020 at the top of the class, and his research paper – focusing on set-pieces, where he studied thousands of throw-ins – got into print. Lampard included won over and he recruited the coach as part of his backroom at Stamford Bridge. After Lampard's dismissal, it was telling that Chelsea removed most of his staff while keeping Barry.

Lampard’s successor with the club became Tuchel, and shortly after, he and Barry won the Champions League. When he was let go, the coach continued under Graham Potter. But when Tuchel re-emerged in Germany, he got Barry out away from London to work together again. English football's governing body see them as a double act similar to Southgate and Holland.

“I’ve never seen anything like Thomas {in terms of personality and methodology|in character and approach|