Thomas Tuchel as the England manager is still quite a peculiar sight for many.
England appointed Tuchel following the dismissal of Gareth Southgate after losing in the Euro 2024 Final to Spain, which will have obviously delighted Welsh Wrexham supporters.
Alas, Wrexham do have lots of ties to England as a nation. A selection of the top talent at the Stok Racecourse currently are English, with the likes of Paul Mullin, Elliot Lee and more knocking around Phil Parkinson’s first-team squad.
Speaking of ties to England, there is a former Wrexham player who will be working alongside Tuchel for England, very, very closely.
Former Wrexham ace Anthony Barry is England’s new assistant head coach
Former Wrexham player Anthony Barry linked up with Tuchel as the new Three Lions assistant head coach back in October.
But who is he and how did he get there? Well after a high-and-low playing career in the English Football League, Barry took up coaching, initially at Wigan Athletic, where he spent three years from 2017 – 2020.
But it was at Chelsea where he made a name for himself. Barry initially joined the staff of Frank Lampard, after the pair had met on the UEFA Pro License Course at St. George’s Park.
Lampard was sacked in 2021, and Tuchel came in. Luckily for Barry, Tuchel took more than a liking to him and decided to keep him among his Chelsea staff.
In 2023, Tuchel departed, withh the German heading to Bayern Munich. But as the relationship blossomed at Chelsea, the new England manager also decided to bring Barry with him to Bayern, where they enjoyed some great success.
Alongside his club work, Barry also had stints with the Northern Ireland national team whilst also working with the Belgian and Portuguese national sides alongside Roberto Martinez.
Now, England is his sole focus, alongside Tuchel – where the pair will embark on the World Cup in 2026, hoping to win the first trophy for the Three Lions in what will be 60 years.
When did Anthony Barry play for Wrexham?
Barry actually ended his career at The Racecourse, retiring at the age of 31 after being released following 31 appearances for the Red Dragons. In this time the midfielder bagged two goals.
Barry did also sign for Wrexham in 2010 on an 18-month deal in January, but left the club less than one week later after asking to be released from his contract. Released twice by the same club!
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2005 | Coventry City | 0 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Accrington Stanley | 26 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Yeovil Town | 64 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Chester City | 43 | (1) |
| 2010 | Wrexham | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2013 | Fleetwood Town | 58 | (2) |
| 2013–2015 | Forest Green Rovers | 36 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | → Accrington Stanley (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Accrington Stanley | 8 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Wrexham | 31 | (2) |
| Total | 279 | (8) |
We don’t think Barry could have envisioned how life after football would have panned out after being released by Wrexham twice, but to impress a footballing mind like Tuchel, you’ve got to have at least a bit about you.