Anthony Barry: Who is England's new assistant to Thomas Tuchel?

Anthony Barry has teamed up once again with Thomas Tuchel, this time as the assistant head coach for England, marking their third collaboration. Barry, whose playing career spanned clubs like Fleetwood, Yeovil, Accrington Stanley, and Wrexham, initially joined forces with Tuchel at Chelsea after being part of Frank Lampard’s coaching squad.

The duo completed their coaching qualifications together, and it was Lampard who enticed Barry to Stamford Bridge after his three-year stint at Wigan with manager Paul Cook. When Tuchel took over from Lampard in January 2021, he retained Barry, and together they propelled Chelsea to Champions League glory and appearances in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup finals.

Despite Tuchel’s dismissal in September 2022, Barry stayed on at Chelsea until reuniting with the German upon his appointment as Bayern Munich’s boss.

Barry expressed his admiration for Tuchel in a club media interview following his move to Bayern: “Our relationship is very respectful and friendly,” he said. “I admired Thomas from the first day. We have a lot of parallels how we work and how we see football.

“We try to push each other and to improve. That allows us to work at a very high level because we can be completely honest with each other. We talk very openly, discuss our ideas and always try to find the best solution.”

Barry, renowned for his expertise in set-pieces at Bayern Munich and having penned a dissertation on throw-ins for his Pro Licence, has spoken about the significance of this aspect of the game. “As a top team, you need to be top at set pieces. It’s an important area for us that we want to work on,” he said.

Tuchel was effusive in his praise for Barry’s impact at Chelsea, noting not just his technical skills but also his infectious enthusiasm. “The whole package is right for him: his personality, the love of the game, the love of his job, his passion and his quality. He brings a lot of energy. His work with set-pieces at Chelsea was on a whole new level for me.”

With a wealth of international coaching experience under his belt, including stints with the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, and Portugal, Barry has now left his position with Portugal to take up a role with England.

Upon confirmation of his appointment to the England coaching staff, Barry expressed his excitement and pride. “For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the pinnacle, and I didn’t hesitate when Thomas asked me to come and join him again,” he remarked.

He also highlighted the benefits of St George’s Park and his eagerness to contribute to the national team. “I know what a great place St George’s Park is, and how much of an advantage it gives our England teams, and the support it gives to coaches.

“This squad is very talented and have done so much to bring the country together, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.”