England's Forgotten Footballer (Nick Barmby)

Name: dave27

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Product:	Nick Barmby
Date:	06/08/02 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Skilful

Disadvantages: Drifts out of games, Unrealised potential

Q: Which footballer scored the first goal for England during both Sven Goran Eriksson's and Glenn Hoddle's reigns?
A: Well, as you've probably sussed this piece is about Nicky Barmby, then you undoubtedly know that he's the man, but honestly would you have remembered otherwise?

For amidst all the brouhaha about England's World Cup campaign and unrealised potential when crumbling against the showponies of Brazil, Nicky Barmby has become the forgotten man of English football after all the promise he showed in the early part of the Swede's reign.

Further to that, amidst all the preparations for the new season and Liverpool's new foreign signings (and the signing they didn't make - Lee Bowyer), Barmby has even become the forgotten man of Merseyside...

In fact, it looks like the only way that Our Nicky will get back into the big time is if his long time admirer Terry Venables saw fit to make him an early signing in his new set up at Elland Road, and the failure of the Bowyer deal has made that seemingly less likely.


Nick Barmby was born on February 11 1974 in Hull and had a trial with Liverpool when he was 17, but ended up at Tottenham. The move turned out well for him and he broke into the Spurs team at just 18, going on to play a key role at the club following the departure of Terry Venables and Paul Gascoigne as part of an exciting forward line which also boasted Jurgen Klinsmann and Teddy Sheringham.

He made a name for himself in that fairly illustrious company and the intelligent promptings of Sheringham brought out the best in him, catapulting him into the England reckoning. He played in the England Under-18 side which won the European Championship in 1993, with Robbie Fowler among his colleagues, and a couple of years earlier, aged 21, he broke into the full side, winning his first cap in a goalless draw against Uruguay.

Following that breakthrough, Barmby has been a r
egular international, but has never really pinned down a place, although for a while he represented the best option in England's problem left midfield slot.

During the intervening years, Barmby has also moved clubs with a fair degree of regularity, apparently securing a berth, yet drifting on just as he seemed ready to make a real name for himself.

In 1995, shortly after his England debut, he sprang a surprise by leaving London (amidst the troubled reign of Alan Sugar as Tottenham chairman) and opting for a return nearer his roots, joining Middlesbrough in a multi million pound move. He remained on Teesside only just over a year and in October 1996 signed for an Everton side who were in the doldrums for £5.75million.

Everton were a drab, but hard working side, and for a while Barmby gave them a much needed creative boost, although he couldn?t really find either his best form or an ideal role, slipping between out and out striker and withdrawn schemer.

He hit his best form in 1998-99 having come through injury troubles and was starting to look the part again. 1999-2000 saw him back at his peak, and he enjoyed a good run in the England side under Kevin Keegan. Unfortunately shortly after declaring his love for Everton and his intention to stay at Goodison for the long term, he opted for a switch across Merseyside in a £6million move to Liverpool.

He had a good first season at Liverpool, but then struggled with injury in the closing stages and missed out on the glory of their treble Cup triumph. He was beset again in 2001-02 and played just nine games before an ankle operation ruled him out of the rest of the season.

He remains as something of an enigma, a nearly man, who can play consistently well at the top level without really moving onto a higher plane and the emergence of John Arne Riise in 2001-02 will make it even harder for him to force his way back into the Anfielders team.

It's a shame
, and it seems that only a move away from his supposed dream team can resurrect the career of the dimutive forward.


If any club is willing to take the risk of laying out cold cash in this uncertain and lethargic transfer market then they may get a bargain if the busy little spark returns to the game of Barmby, but his proneness to injury makes that unlikely. Terry Venables looks the man likeliest to take the risk, but Elland Road is unlikely to take Barmby to their hearts.

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