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Ten years back, Anthony Barry featured at a lower division club. Now, he's dedicated to assist Thomas Tuchel secure World Cup glory in 2026. His journey from player to coach started with a voluntary role for Accrington's Under-16s. He recalls, “It was in the evenings, third of a pitch, asked to do 11 v 11 … flat balls, not enough bibs,” and it captivated him. He discovered his purpose.

Rapid Rise

Barry's progression is incredible. Starting with his first major job, he developed a name with creative training and strong interpersonal abilities. His stints with teams included Chelsea and Bayern Munich, and he held coaching jobs abroad across multiple countries. He has worked with legends including Thiago Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo. Today, as part of Team England, it’s full-time, the top according to him.

“Everything starts with a dream … However, I hold that passion overcomes challenges. You dream big then you break it down: ‘What's the process, day-by-day, step-by-step?’ We aim for World Cup victory. But dreams won’t get it done. We must create a structured plan so we can to have the best chance.”

Obsession with Details

Passion, particularly on fine points, characterizes his journey. Putting in long hours all the time, the coaching duo challenge limits. Their strategies involve mental assessments, a heat-proof game model for the World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and building a true team. The coach highlights “Team England” and dislikes phrases such as "break".

“This isn't a vacation or a break,” he explains. “We needed to create an environment that attracts the squad and where they're challenged that returning to club duty feels easier.”

Ambitious Trainers

He characterizes himself and the head coach as “very greedy”. “Our goal is to master each element of play,” Barry affirms. “We want to conquer the entire field and we dedicate long hours toward. Our responsibility not just to keep up of the trends but to beat them and set new standards. This is continuous with a mindset of solving issues. And to clarify complicated matters.

“We get 50 days together with the team before the World Cup finals. We need to execute an intricate approach that gives us a tactical advantage and we have to make it so clear during that time. It's about moving it from thought to data to understanding to action.

“To create a system for effective use in that window, we have to use the whole 500 we’ll have had from when we started. When the squad is away, we have to build relationships among them. We have to spend time in calls with players, observing them live, sense their presence. If we just use the 50 days, it's impossible.”

World Cup Qualifiers

Barry is preparing on the last two in the qualifying campaign – versus Serbia in London and away to Albania. The team has secured qualification after six consecutive victories and six clean sheets. However, they won't relax; instead. Now is the moment to reinforce the team’s identity, to maintain progress.

“Thomas and I are both pretty clear that the football philosophy should represent all the positives from the top division,” Barry says. “The athleticism, the versatility, the physicality, the work ethic. The Three Lions kit must be difficult to earn but comfortable to have on. It should feel like a cape instead of heavy armour.

“To ensure it's effortless, it's crucial to offer a style that allows them to operate similar to weekly matches, that connects with them and encourages attacking play. They should overthink less and increase execution.

“You can gain psychological edges available to trainers in the first and final thirds – building from the defense, closing down early. Yet, in the central zone of the pitch, those 24 metres, we believe play has stagnated, especially in England's top flight. Everybody has so much information currently. They know how to set up – defensive shapes. We are really trying to focus on accelerating the game across those 24 metres.”

Passion for Progress

Barry’s hunger for improvement knows no bounds. During his education for the Uefa pro licence, he felt anxious about the presentation, especially as his class included stars such as Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick. So, to build his skill set, he went into tough situations imaginable to practise giving them. Such as Walton jail in his home city of Liverpool, where he also took inmates in a football drill.

He completed the course with top honors, and his research paper – The Undervalued Set Piece, for which he analysed numerous set-plays – became a published work. Lampard was among those won over and he recruited the coach on to his staff at Stamford Bridge. When Lampard was sacked, it spoke volumes that the team dismissed nearly all assistants except Barry.

Lampard’s successor at Chelsea became Tuchel, and shortly after, they secured European glory. When he was let go, the coach continued under Graham Potter. But when Tuchel re-emerged with Bayern, he brought Barry over away from London and back alongside him. The FA see them as a double act akin to Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland.

“I haven't encountered anyone like him {in terms of personality and methodology|in character and approach|