Dubai: Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has tipped Gareth Barry to continue playing for another 2-3 years after the West Brom midfielder beat the Welshman’s Premier League most appearance record this week.
Barry, 36, clocked his 633rd appearance in a 2-0 defeat away to Arsenal on Monday overtaking Giggs’ previous record of 632 set when he retired in 2014.
“It’s a great achievement to play in the Premier League so long,” said Giggs, 43, on the sidelines of the Premier Futsal finals at Dubai’s Al Wasl Club on Tuesday, where he’s captain of the Mumbai Warriors.
“I did it that long and it’s difficult, especially when you come to the later years, you need to manage yourself and he’s done that right, he’s still playing top level as well.
“I think he can go on another 2-3 years, he looks a good professional, I don’t know him that well, but when you look after yourself, especially in the later years, and have the right manager to look after you, then you can play 2-3 more seasons. What is he now 36? So, he’s got another couple of years at least.”
Barry made his Premier League debut for Aston Villa at the age of 17 in a 3-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday in 1998. He went onto play for Everton, Manchester City and West Brom, earning 53 caps for England.
“Earlier memories of him are as a left back when he started off at Villa and sometimes as a centre-half when they played a back three, then when he moved into a more midfield role for England and club,” Giggs said of his former Manchester derby rival.
“He was always a solid performer and probably a manager’s dream because you know what you’re going to get week-in-week-out, and somebody who you can trust that you are going to get performances from. When you get a player like that they are always going to be in the reckoning when you come to pick teams.”
Giggs also played in the pre-Premier League era clocking up 39 appearances in the old First Division to total 672 appearances. The overall appearance record in both old and new forms of top flight English football is 849 matches achieved by former England keeper Peter Shilton, while the outfield record is held by former Chelsea stalwart John Hollins with 714.
