Aston Villa's Gareth Barry tells of World Cup dream

Mar 31 2009 by Lisa Smith, Birmingham Mail

GARETH Barry admits his dream of playing for England in the World Cup Finals next year would be aided and abetted by Champions League experience, sparking fresh speculation that he may yet move to Liverpool should Villa miss out on a spot in the top four.

The England ace has yet to win any silverware with Villa, despite more than a decade with the club, and is hankering after success with Fabio Capello’s Three Lions by helping them qualify for the finals in South Africa in a year’s time.

Barry admits that a successful World Cup campaign would go some way to easing those 11 years of hurt, but knows Capello only picks his side based on league form.

Barry, now a virtual ever-present in the England squad, has hinted that playing at the top level with his club may be the only way to cement his current position.

“It would be a massive achievement to be involved in something like the World Cup Finals and I hope the dream comes true and we qualify,” he said.

“It’s all about winning stuff and it would make up for it (lack of club success) going somewhere like that.

‘‘You don’t want to go to these championships just to compete, you want to win them but we’re just thinking about the qualifiers at the moment.”