Barry could have gone to Spurs before O'Neill appointment

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Lee Rogers, centre of excellence coach at Brighton & Hove Albion and the man who first spotted Barry's ability, believes the England international was on the brink of quitting the Midlands club before the former Celtic boss took charge.

Settled: Gareth Barry stayed at Villa and has finally been given a run in the England team

"Playing for England means something to him because he thought his chance had gone," Rogers said. "This is where Martin O'Neill comes in.

"What he has done at Villa is make his players believe they can play for England. I know Martin has instilled so much confidence back into Gareth.

"He would have left Villa had it not been for their manager. Spurs would have been his preferred choice but Portsmouth was also a possibility.

"But Martin got him to stay, built his squad around him and then got him back into the England squad at the age of 26. It's amazing to see what has happened to Gareth."