My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s look behind the curtain at what drives sports stars to greatness. For the latest in the series, we sat down for a fascinating and insightful chat with John Barnes, widely regarded as one of England’s greatest players of all time. The Jamaican-born dribbler reflects on his journey to the top, including the highs and lows of his career, and the memories that will stay with him for life.
I look at my whole career as the highlight
I don’t look for individual moments, I look at my career as a whole, the good and the bad. But if I had to choose one particular highlight, it’s obviously the first league title I won with Liverpool. That for me is the most important thing, not winning the Champions League or FA Cup.
The way I was brought up, it was always about the team, not the individual. My dad was a colonel in the Jamaican army. He talked about discipline, determination, effort, commitment, understanding what it means to be a part of a team.
So I never got carried away when the praise was coming my way from the fans or from the media.
Graham Taylor kept my feet on the ground
Playing for England at 18, 19, everything had been going so well. But he said it meant nothing. When all of a sudden you think you’ve made it, it can come back and bite you.
The Watford players came from the Fourth Division. They were in their 30s. So when I got into the first team at 17, 18, and we were in the First Division, I could’ve easily thought, “well, I’m in the First Division, you’ve come from the Fourth Division, I’m better than you.”
But of course they were all my mentors and I was subservient to them. I understood they’d been there, seen it, done it. So they were more important than me.
I ruptured my Achilles tendon when I was 29
I should have been in the prime of my career, but they thought I wouldn’t play again, that’s how bad the injury was. It nearly finished my career. I got the injury playing for England against Finland, just before Euro 92, so I didn’t go.
As an 18 year old, I was always flying up and down the wing. That’s why I had to change the way I played. But I still managed to play for England and Liverpool for another five years after that.
The fans didn’t appreciate me as much, as I wasn’t the dynamic player I was in the past, because I couldn’t sprint anymore. I suppose under different circumstances I might have gotten depressed. But I understood my value to the team.
I almost joined Real Madrid
John Toshack wanted me to ask for a transfer from Liverpool, which would have been nice. I said I’m not asking for a transfer. If you come in and make a bid and Liverpool accept it, then we’ll talk.
Italy was another possibility. Everybody wanted to go to Italy in the 80s. Platini, Maradona, they were all playing there. The problem I had was that the Italian teams were only allowed two foreign players, so one of them would have had to leave for me to join. I nearly followed Luther Blissett to AC Milan.
Going abroad is something I would have liked to have done, but once I ruptured my Achilles, that was never going to happen. So yeah, it didn’t materialise. I’m a big believer in fate, so it wasn’t meant to be, but had I been given an opportunity at that particular time, I definitely would have done it.
Peter Beardsley was my favourite roommate
Peter didn’t drink so, of course, when we went out, and we needed someone to drive, he would drive.
We came to Liverpool at the same time, and there was a lot of pressure on us, particularly with the money involved. We played for England together as well. So we got on really well.
I roomed with Paul Merson once for England and never again, because it was the old Paul Merson. He was always up drinking and carrying on. So I had to go to Bobby Robson and tell him to put him with someone else.
My uncle used to manage Marvin Gaye
When we first came to England, we lived in Highgate. And when I was 14 years old, my uncle brought Marvin Gaye to the house, and we played football in the garden. At the time we didn’t think anything of it, because in Jamaica we don’t see people as celebrities.
I never really looked at him as a celebrity. Bob Marley used to be on the television and radio shows with my mother. She was a television and radio presenter.
Of course, I met Nelson Mandela. Usain Bolt used to come and play football when I coached the Jamaica national team. But in terms of celebrity encounters, it doesn’t get much bigger than playing football with Marvin Gaye in the garden as a 14-year-old.
John Barnes has teamed up with Greene King to release a new rap celebrating the unbeatable buzz of watching football together in the pub, ahead of the world’s biggest tournament to date. To get fans back together in the pub for kick-off, Greene King is giving every pre-booked guest a free drink for the Mexico vs South Africa opener on 11 June at selected pubs nationwide. For more information visit https://www.greeneking.co.uk/live-sport/football/world-cup
