Aston Villa ace admits near exit

Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry admits he was very close to leaving the club before Martin O'Neill's appointment.

Barry had asked the club for a move before David O'Leary got the sack. However, when O'Neill was appointed, he was persuaded to stay at the club and Barry admits the new boss said all the right things and managed to change his mind.

Barry originally wanted a move away from the club because he was thinking about his career. Aston Villa seemed to be a club with no future ambitions. However, with a new boss and new owners, Villa are a club who will be climbing higher and higher.

"I'd virtually asked the club for a move," said Barry.

"I'd made my decision before David O'Leary got the sack.

"Then he got sacked and I was in no man's land. The club just wanted me to hold on and wait for the new manager and, thankfully, it was the right thing to do.

"I thought I had to move on for the sake of my career. But I saw the reception when Martin was appointed and it started me thinking 'Is it the right thing to move on?'

"I had a few conversations with the manager and he slowly changed my mind.

"He has said all the right things. He is the sort of man you can listen to and take it in.

"He has always got the best out of his players. He can get the average players playing good and the good players playing great. That's a sign of a good manager."