John Barnes

John Barnes

John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager. He currently works as an author, commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport. Initially a quick, skilful left winger, he moved to central midfield later in his career. Barnes won two league titles with Liverpool, with whom he also won two cup finals at Wembley. He was also an FA Cup runner-up with Watford, Liverpool and Newcastle United. Barnes earned 79 international caps for England. Barnes was born and initially raised in Jamaica as the son of a military officer from Trinidad and Tobago and a Jamaican mother. He moved to London, England with his family when he was 12 years old. Barnes joined Watford aged 17 in 1981 before playing 296 competitive games for them scoring 85 goals. He was a Watford 1984 FA Cup Final runner-up. He debuted for England in 1983 and in 1987 joined Liverpool for £900,000. In his 10 seasons there Liverpool won the then top-flight First Division twice and the FA Cup twice. He scored 106 goals in 403 matches. By the time of his last cap in 1995, he had more caps than any other black England player. After two years at Newcastle United, he ended his playing career at Charlton Athletic in 1999. Barnes was the PFA Players' Player of the Year once (in 1987–88) and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year twice (in 1987–88 and 1989–90). In the run-up to England's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign he recorded a rap for the official team song, New Order's "World in Motion". In 2005, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. In 2006, in a poll of Liverpool fans' favourite players, Barnes came fifth; a year later, FourFourTwo magazine named him Liverpool's best all time player. In 2016, The Times readers voted him England's

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