“?Gareth Barry insists he has no immediate plans to leave Everton – despite reported interest from clubs in the United States and in China.
“?Barry spoke exclusively to the Liverpool Echo ahead of becoming only the third player to reach the milestone of making 600 Premier League appearances.
The 35-year-old joined the Toffees from Manchester City in September 2013, initially on loan, before signing a three-year contract with the club the following summer.
However, the evergreen midfielder revealed that he had received an offer from City’s sister club in America, New York City, about plying his trade in the MLS, while his agent still receives tempting offers from other overseas outfits.
Barry said: “When City made the New York team, there was offers for me there at the time I came here on loan initially.
“There are always a few calls. The Chinese League is up and running now, with loads of money. My agent gets a lot of calls.
Everton veteran Barry on offers from the US and China, reaching 600 games and running round water parks https://t.co/okx4pZZCnO
“But while I am here, enjoying it and playing, reach targets like 600 games, then my head is certainly not getting swayed.
“There have been calls (from China). There are no offers and I’m not in a position where I have said “get me some figures!”? but, like I said, while I am still playing for Everton, there is no need to think about anything.”?
Barry also addressed the rumours that Everton’s first-team stars dropped their performance levels over the course of the 2015/16 campaign.
The Blues finished 11th in last season’s league standings, and were often criticised for their haphazard displays under former boss Roberto Martinez.
New Everton manager Ronald Koeman has already made his squad a much tougher nut to crack since taking charge in June, and “?Barry insists it is down to the Dutchman’s disciplinarian-like approach to standards – both on the training pitch and on match days.
He continued: “The standards of the players were, for me, slightly slipping last season, on and off the pitch.
“If standards are slipping off the pitch it can impact on your form on the pitch and the whole team was losing that level that is expected to compete at the top end of the Premier League.
“The manager doesn’t want to come across as some sort of headmaster but he has been quite keen to let anybody know if they go underneath the standards expected. That is good for everyone.”
Barry’s current deal at Everton expires at the end of this term and thoughts, naturally, have turned to where the former Aston Villa captain will play next season.
Gareth Barry has spent 35.2 days on a pitch playing Premier League football #Barry600 #StatCave
But, despite saying that initial talks were yet to begin over a new contract at Goodison Park, Barry believes what will be will be, and isn’t stressing over what his next move in football will entail.
He added: “There have been no discussions yet, a few murmurings.
“My agent has had a couple of calls. I respect I’ll be 36 at the end of my contract, so I know they won’t be chasing me for a new contract and it would be cheeky for me to go and ask.
“I have never been one to worry about a new contract either, it always happens in the end.”?
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