Aston Villa Football Club News

• Nickname:The Villains
• Founded:1874
• Manager:Alex McLeish

• Ground:Villa Park
• Capacity:42,584

O'Neill reiterates Barry stance

23 May 2009 - 10:12:23

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Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has once again admitted that Gareth Barry could leave the club this summer.

The 28-year-old, who was linked with a transfer to Liverpool last summer, has 12 months left on his Villa Park contract but is keen to play Champions League football.

With Villa once again missing out on a top-four finish this term, O'Neill accepts that Barry could be on his way.

He said: "We'd like him to stay but we understand that he's been at the club for 11 years. If someone came in with the offer of the Champions League, then that's something we'd look at.

"Even if he ran his contract down I don't think that's something that would concern us greatly and that might show that we'd like him to stay.

"It isn't a matter of us wanting to cash in because he's in his final year. If he said he was going to run it down and see it through, I'd be delighted.

"I've told him that there's no need to rush into anything.

"He's got two England international matches in June, and I'm sure he won't be able to get his head around anything until they're over with."