THOMAS TUCHEL'S RIGHT-HAND MAN

England's new assistant manager already has a hugely impressive CV

- Sean Cole

Everyone expects a new broom to sweep clean. When Thomas Tuchel arrived as Chelsea manager in January 2021, he brought in trusted allies like Zsolt Low and Arno Michels to replace some of the coaches left behind by his predecessor Frank Lampard. Anthony Barry must have feared the worst; young and inexperienced, he had only arrived from Wigan Athletic a few months earlier, and it seemed like his big break was going to end before it had really begun.

But, far from discarding or marginalising him, Tuchel nurtured Barry's talent, accelerating his progress. He became an integral part of Chelsea's turnaround, culminating in Champions League glory later that year.

Tuchel and Barry formed a close relationship, as both friends and colleagues. After working together again at Bayern Munich, and claiming a Bundesliga title, they're now reunited to lead the England national team and have the World Cup in their sights.

"He's very motivated and driven. He wants to succeed," says Michael Jacobs, who was coached by Barry at Wigan. "When you talked to him about his playing career, he probably wasn't naturally gifted with ability, but he was always one of the hardest working. That came across with the amount of time he'd spend away from the training ground doing his research."

An industrious midfielder and Everton academy graduate, who was team-mates with Wayne Rooney at youth level, Barry drifted into the lower leagues with Accrington Stanley, Yeovil Town and others. At 24, a dislocated kneecap sidelined him for well over a year. Forced to reassess his plans, he started coaching and discovered a genuine passion.