Earl Barrett

47
Earl Barrett bigraphy, stories - English footballer

Earl Barrett : biography

28 April 1967 –

Earl Delisser Barrett (born 28 April 1967 in Rochdale, Lancashire) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League and Premier League for Manchester City, Chester City, Oldham Athletic, Aston Villa, Everton, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. He played mainly at right back though could also adapt to a central defensive role. He also gained three England caps while playing at Oldham and Aston Villa. The £1.7m Aston Villa paid for him in February 1992 remains, as of 2010, Oldham Athletic’s record transfer receipt.

Coaching career

Since retiring from playing he has obtained a degree in sports science and is now working towards his coaching badges. He currently works at Manchester City as an Events Organiser.

In 2008, Barrett was part of a consortium considering investing in Port Vale F.C.

On 29 July 2009 he was appointed the under 14’s coach at Stoke City’s academy. He was doing a similar role at former club Oldham Athletic.

Earl Barrett’s brother, Floyd, played professional basketball for the Oldham Celtics during the 1990s.

Honours

Chester City
  • Division 4 Runner-up (promotion to Division 3): 1985–86
Aston Villa
  • Premiership Runner-up: 1992–93
  • League Cup Winner: 1993–94
Oldham Athletic
  • Division 2 Winner (promotion to Division 1): 1990–91

Playing career

As a teenager, Barrett helped Chester City to promotion from Division Four in 1985–86 while on loan. At Oldham he helped the Lancashire side to the Division 2 title in 1991 and promotion to Division 1 (which became the FA Premier League a year later). He was also a member of the side that lost the League Cup Final in 1990 to Nottingham Forest at Wembley.

His greatest success as a player came with Aston Villa where in his first 6 months at the club they finished runners up in the Premier League and in 1993/94 won the League Cup beating Manchester United 3–1 at Wembley with Earl playing the full 90 minutes. He was bought by Everton midway through the next season and although they won the FA Cup in May 1995, Barrett had already been cup tied (at Aston Villa) meaning he could not claim a winners medal. Much of his spell as Everton was dogged with a knee injury and he moved on to Sheffield Wednesday in February 1998 after making 78 appearances for the Merseysiders. Although injury again restricted him at Sheffield Wednesday the club were on a downward spiral and were relegated from the Premiership at the end of Earl’s 2nd season with them upon which he retired from playing.

During his footballing career his nicknames were "The Pearl", Perliniho and ‘The Earl of Barrett’.