The Everton midfielder is set to play in his 600th Premier League game this weekend.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has hailed Gareth Barry to the club’s official website, saying that reaching 600 games is an amazing achievement.
The midfielder is set to achieve the record on Saturday evening when the Blues host Middlesbrough.
It is an impressive tally of Premier League games across a career that has seen him turn out for Aston Villa, Manchester City and the Blues.
Indeed, only legends Ryan Giggs and Frank Lampard have managed to pick up more appearances than him and Koeman has hailed the achievement.
“It’s an amazing achievement to reach,” he told the club’s official website.
“He’ll be the third player to reach 600 games and to have played 19 seasons in a row is fantastic. He’s still an important player for us because he is a clever player and those type of players will always have respect and be important.”
Koeman is certainly right about Barry being an important player, with him having played a key role already this season.
While his midfield partner Idrissa Gueye has taken the plaudits, the veteran has also been a star performer.
It is evident in the stats, where he has improved on last season in seven key areas such as tackling, defensive duels won, and ball recoveries.
If he continues in that vein of form, then it is very likely he will be adding many more appearances to his current total.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
