Source: Telegraph
Gareth Barry puts European dream on hold after being wooed by Manchester City
Rather, he said it was a determination to join a club who are set to become a "major force" who will "seriously challenge to win major honours", and the impression made on him by Mark Hughes, which persuaded him to move to Eastlands. [LNB]In joining City, the midfielder is understood to have accepted a wage increase that will earn him about £100,000 a week, but Barry insisted that it was his new manager's plans, and readiness to pay Villa's asking price – unlike Liverpool last summer – that has convinced him to become part of their project. He also pointed to having had "a massive fear of going stale" if he had remained at Villa Park. [LNB] Related ArticlesMan City sign £12m BarryHughes in hurry to reinforceBarry's City move an embarrassment to VillaTop 20 transfer targetsPremier League Transfer TalkIreland commits future to Man City"I feel I am joining a club that will seriously challenge to win major honours," Barry said. "People might doubt that, but I am convinced with the plans the club has and the backing the manager will receive from the owners, that we will be a major force. [LNB]"Once I had spoken to Mark Hughes there was nowhere else I wanted to go. They were the club prepared to meet the valuation, which for a 28 year-old with a year left on his contract, shows how much they wanted me."[LNB]Barry, who flew to Kazakhstan on England duty on Wednesday, also explained that his position in the national squad had a bearing on his move. Hughes will let him operate in his favoured position in central midfield without fear of being rotated, he believes, which will allow him the best chance to showcase his talents ahead of the World Cup. It is unlikely he would have been given similar guarantees had he moved to a side such as Liverpool or Arsenal. [LNB]Barry is not the first player to incur the wrath of his former club's fans for moving, and he will not be the last, and while he claimed he was not leaving "under a cloud", his decision to publicly explain his decision so soon after the move reveals that he is wise to Villa supporters' distress. [LNB]In an attempt to mollify those fans, he said: "For the rest of my life, Aston Villa will be the first result I look for." [LNB]
