Aston Villa: Why size does not matter to Barry Bannan
Nov 21 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
VILLA’S vertically-challenged youngster Barry Bannan is determined to prove that a little goes a long way.
Bannan has constantly had to cope with accusations that he is too small to be successful in professional football.
But the 5ft 7ins midfielder believes his productive loan spell at Derby last season proved that size doesn’t matter.
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And Bannan argues that some of the best players in Europe have excelled despite being short in stature.
“There’s been a lot of doubts about my height, but I don’t see there’s anything wrong with it,” said Bannan.
“Some of the best players in the world are small like me, like Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta at Barcelona.
“I’m just trying to win people over who think I’m too small to play and hopefully I can do that over the course of time.
“You probably have to show a bit more than bigger players to prove your quality and I think I’m capable of doing that.
“Hopefully I can show it.”
For Villa, Bannan has been restricted to a cameo substitute role at Hamburg and a start at CSKA Moscow in last season’s ill-fated UEFA Cup ties.
But the 19-year-old left-footer believes his 10 appearances for Nigel Clough’s Rams last term showed that he could mix it in competitive matches.
“I think I’ve got tougher by playing in the Championship,” said Bannan.
“My game’s come on a lot.
“I used to make more stupid decisions than I’m doing now.
“I’ve learned from that and the higher you go up you can’t afford to give the ball away as often. You’ve got to try and keep it and I think I’ve improved.” Bannan has been a frustrated first-team spectator for most of this season and has struggled to even make Martin O’Neill’s bench.
But he is encouraged by the manager’s policy of fast-tracking youngsters who consistently impress for the reserves.
“Last year he played me and Marc Albrighton in the UEFA Cup, so if you’re doing well he won’t hold you back, he’ll move you up and on,” added Bannan.
“The team’s full of young British blood coming through now so it’s a good club to be at the minute.
“He’s shown that he’ll give the youngsters a go if they’re good enough.”
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