London: Gareth Barry broke Ryan Giggs’ Premier League appearance record as the West Bromwich Albion midfielder played his 633rd game in Monday’s clash against Arsenal.
Barry was named Albion captain at the Emirates Stadium in honour of his milestone moment and received a warm reception from both Arsenal and West Brom fans before kick-off. The 36-year-old, who drew level with former United star Giggs was making his 601st start in the top-flight.
“It was something different this week, having a lot of media attention. It will be nice to put this milestone to bed,” Barry said after his side’s 2-0 defeat. “It would have been great to have come away with a result, but there’s a lot of positives to take.”
Barry made his debut for Aston Villa at the age of 17, appearing as a substitute in a 3-1 victory at Sheffield in 1998. It was fitting that his landmark appearance came against the Gunners as their manager Arsene Wenger twice tried to sign him during his long career.
