Barry clears head for England

Updated 15.45 Thu Sep 04 2008

Keywords: andorra, croatia, andorra football, croatia football, world cup 2010, 2010 world cup, football, gareth barry, england football, england, liverpool, aston villa, premier league, sport, world cup qualifiers

Gareth Barry insists he is ready to play for England after weeks of turmoil.

Barry is likely to play in both of England's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia in coming week but he spent the summer hoping for a move from Aston Villa to Liverpool.

"It is important that my head is now focussed on Aston Villa and performing for England" - Gareth Barry

The transfer fell through because the clubs could not strike a deal and Barry has returned to the Villa team, where he has won over fans with several committed performances.

He said: I'm mentally prepared now for the games. It was a tough summer for myself, it is the first time I've experienced anything like that.

"It is important that my head is now focussed on Aston Villa and performing for England in the next few days.

"This is a new campaign for England so everyone in the squad is looking forward to getting off to a good start."