The key facts
- Tierno Barry waited three weeks before publishing the video of him crying
- He scored 8 goals in 41 matches last season and has already netted 6 this season
- Everton reposted the clip with the caption 'emotional resilience'
The video Barry feared to publish
Last month, Everton striker Tierno Barry posted a video on his YouTube channel showing him upset and crying during a private training session, dissatisfied with his performance. In the footage, the 23-year-old Frenchman leaves the training ground and begins to cry while his teammates try to comfort him. The next day, he speaks to the camera, saying that sometimes 'it's good just to let it all out.' In an interview with BBC Newsbeat, Barry admitted he hesitated for three weeks to release the clip: 'I was very afraid to publish it. And I said: no, I just need to show myself.' According to him, last season he did not show his true self, and people need to get to know the real him. It was the first time he cried in front of friends who were used to seeing him strong.
Club and fan reaction
Everton reposted the clip from the player's vlog on their official account with the caption 'emotional resilience,' receiving supportive comments underneath. Barry noted that the support from fans and the club helps: 'The people around me have helped a lot because I am very hard on myself, and those around me try to help me be more positive.' He added that any external critical voice cannot compare to his own inner critic, and that he is not afraid to show weakness—which is precisely why he published the video.
Adaptation and statistics
Barry joined Everton from Villarreal for £27 million at the age of 22. He described adapting to the new club and home as 'very difficult': 'It's hard because it's the toughest league in the world. A new league, a new language.' Last season, he played 41 matches and scored eight goals; this season, he has already scored six. 'People can say I miss many chances, but I also create many chances,' he defends himself, while acknowledging the cost of failure: going three months without a goal last season was difficult.
Pressure and plans
After scoring in the match against Hull over the weekend, Barry wrote on Instagram that he is 'still learning.' He noted that playing this season is easier because he has more playing time: 'When I miss, seven minutes later I have another chance to score. That is real pressure. When I approach the ball, time stops in my head.' On the field, he allows himself celebrations, reviving the dab and hip-shaking moves. Regarding a possible call-up to the France national team, the player speaks cautiously: 'I don't think much about it; for me, it's something very distant. I just do my job—if something happens, it happens.'
Everton player Thierno Barry says it took him three weeks to post a video that showed him breaking down in tears
