Louie Barry was recently part of Aston Villa’s pre-season squad before Unai Emery made the call to loan him out again.
The 21-year-old helped Aston Villa beat Walsall in their pre-season opener, including playing the second half and scoring the third goal of the game.
Last season, Barry enjoyed a fruitful loan spell at Stockport County and he helped them earn promotion to League One.
So, given the competition ahead of him at Villa Park, including Ollie Watkins, Cameron Archer and even Jhon Duran.
It was fitting that he was loaned out again and returned to a place where he is very much loved and is a huge fan favourite.
Barry scored nine goals and supplied four assists from 20 games for County – not forgetting that he was out for several months with a hamstring injury.
But on Saturday, for Stockport’s League One opener against Cambridge United, he picked up where he left off by scoring a goal that left Michael Dawson in shock in the Sky studios.
It’s only the first game of the new season and Barry has already scored a contender for goal of the season.
The Aston Villa academy product lobbed the keeper from about 25 yards out like Paul Merson away at Everton all those years ago.
Former Tottenham defender Dawson waxed lyrical about the player and ‘the audacity’ he had to score such a goal, as he told Sky Sports News.
Dawson wasn’t the only one amazed because Soccer Saturday presenter Simon Thomas also couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed.
Louie Barry’s goal for Stockport County against Cambridge United
“The audacity just to try the lob from Louie Barry was absolutely unbelievable,” said Dawson.
“He must be 25 yards out. It’s just a long punt up the field. Honestly, it’s unbelievable. You think here ‘surely not’. Oh yes, oh yes, ohhhhh yes and it’s in the back of the net. What a goal. I mean it’s absolutely brilliant. I think he has touched it once before that. Just the cheek. What a start for Stockport.”
Presenter Simon Thomas was also amazed as he could be heard in the background saying ‘wow’.”
Aston Villa’s forward situation
Watkins is the main man, everyone knows that and it won’t change, even if he were to start the new Premier League campaign poorly.
Duran has returned to Villa training, but will he still be a Villa player by the time the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of the month? Many fans now want him out.
READ MORE: Aston Villa’s new boy the best player in pre-season for Unai Emery amid four worrying defeats
Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Villa and Joao Felix, with his signing the one Emery wants more than anyone else.
All in all, you wonder how Villa will line-up for their Premier League opener against West Ham because they have been abject in pre-season.
