Analysis
Thierno Barry's Everton revival? Striker hit rock bottom last season but is working hard to turn his Toffees career around
Thierno Barry has endured some tough moments at Everton but the sight of the striker opening up about his struggles has made supporters more empathetic. Adam Bate speaks to his one-on-one coach to find out more about a man trying to rewrite his story...
Thursday 8 October 2026 09:54, UK
Perhaps you have seen the video of Thierno Barry in tears after a one-on-one session last season. The Everton striker was doing extra work with his individual coach when it all became too much. Struggling for form, he felt unable to train his way back into it.
Sometimes there is an assumption that every top player is living the dream but when things are not going well, and the whole world is watching, it can feel like a nightmare. "That was real emotion," Scott Chickelday tells Sky Sports. "They were true tears."
Chickelday is the coach who was taking that session with Barry that day, the man trying to coax him into continuing. "He was on the floor when I met him and that video obviously shows it," he says.
Barry's decision to share the footage is an indication in itself that he is in a better place now. But there are still those who might argue that it is a risk in this robust industry to reveal any vulnerability. "It could have gone two ways for him," concedes Chickelday.
But the response has been supportive. "When you play badly as a player you get labelled for picking up your money and not caring. That video, a lot of Everton supporters have looked at it and thought, 'you know what, yes, he does bloody care'."
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The very fact that Barry sought out Chickelday says plenty about his desire. He is doing all that he can to succeed. Maybe now he is reaping the rewards. "He has had a big pre-season, putting himself in extra camps to get fit, to get himself mentally tougher."
The result? "He has come back mentally stronger." Barry scored in Everton's opening-weekend victory over Crystal Palace. There was a hat-trick in the cup win at Preston. Last time out, he scored what turned out to be the match-winning goal against Ipswich.
"We worked on his finishing and he has come back flying," says Chickelday, who calls Barry one of the nicest people he has met. "It has been a rollercoaster for him, getting booed by his own fans and being cheered like a hero. All these ups and downs."
He adds: "He has got a young baby too so he has had a lot going on. I know supporters will not look at that side of things because all they see is what he does on a Saturday. But he was adjusting to what is probably one of the toughest leagues in the world."
Barry's whole career must have felt like a whirlwind to him so far. His season in Sochaux's reserves has been followed by one apiece in Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and England. He has already been in Everton's first-team longer than anywhere else.
One recalls speaking to Gunter Vandebroeck, his coach at Beveren in Belgium, prior to his arrival in the Premier League. He talked of a player "hungry and determined" but who still had much to learn. "Tactically, he had a lot to improve." Even now, Barry is only 23.
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As such, nobody, Barry included, is under any illusions that he is complete. "He needs repetition, he knows he does," says Chickelday. "But he wants to do it. He still feels like he has got a lot to prove. It has just taken him that bit longer to find his feet."
Barry's extra work with Chickelday is guided by the type of striker that he needs to become in a David Moyes team. "We have to fall in line with that," Chickelday explains. It means focusing on the type of chances that this Everton side might create for him.
"It is about being better in those areas of his game so that when he does find himself in those areas, he is equipped to score. We work a lot on one-touch finishing within the width of the six-yard box. He has just got to get that consistency in his game now."
The reality for Barry is that it is not about the chances that he misses. It is about making sure that he does not allow that misses to impact the next chance. Those grieving moments on the pitch must stop. "It is about being mentally tough," says Chickelday.
"It is about resetting. You have to back yourself. It is the Harry Kane mindset. If you miss an opportunity, that has gone. It is on to the next one. You can still go out there on a Saturday and score goals even if you have not scored in the previous three games.
"Since working with players at this level, that is what I have learned. Talent gets you through the door. Confidence and mindset get you longevity and success. He struggled with that and he needed to get better at it. But he has got better as time has gone."
His body language continues to come under scrutiny but Chickelday believes that can be misleading. "He comes across as this big, confident person when you see his goal celebrations but there are times when he has been low in confidence underneath."
And the statistics certainly suggest that his off-the-ball contribution is significant. Barry ranks among the top-five players in the Premier League this season for both counter pressures and the number of high-speed runs made while pressing the opposition.
The challenge now is for Barry to maintain it. "It is about not having fewer drop offs and becoming more consistent. I am sure that he will. And if he gets it right, he will go on to become a very good striker in the Premier League." This feels like a big opportunity.
Everton do not have many alternatives up front until the January transfer window opens. A chance for Barry to seize the moment. The signs are promising. And, after opening up, the Everton fans are rooting for him too. "He was so low. But he pulled himself back up."
