West Brom boss Tony Pulis backs Gareth Barry to star for some time yet

Today’s home game with West Ham was set to be the 36-year-old’s 632nd top-flight outing, matching the mark achieved by Manchester United legend Giggs.

Barry has started the last three Premier League games for the Baggies since joining from Everton for £800,000 and boss Pulis does not expect the former England international, who penned an initial one-year deal at The Hawthorns, to miss many matches.

“We hope he gets through this season and then we’ll take a view of it,” said Pulis. “But he’s a fit lad, very receptive to what we want to do as a club.

“We did it with Darren Fletcher, who played 86-odd consecutive games here. I don’t see Gareth having a problem doing the same. He’s similar in the respect of how he looks after himself, he’s a proper professional footballer.

“It’s been a pleasure to have Fletch last year and bring in Gareth this year, they are great examples to the rest of the group.”

Barry made 365 top-flight appearances for Villa, after making his debut as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday in 1998, before playing 132 times in the top flight for Manchester City, with whom he won the Premier League in 2012.

He featured 131 times for Everton and was also capped 53 times for England.

“It’s a wonderful achievement. Gareth is a throwback in lots of respects,” said Pulis. “His fitness levels, the way he looks after himself, everything has to be done properly for him.

“He’s a model professional and his fitness levels have been exceptional in the games he’s played.”

Pulis continued: “You have still got to want to do it, you still have to have that desire to turn up to want to train, to play.

“That is the great thing about these players who go on. They have the inner strength and desire to keep going. It’s a tough profession, it’s not easy.

“They are born with certain attributes, that take them that step forward. It’s been a delight to work with Fletch and now Gareth.

“I have always rated him as a player but you don’t realise how good he is until you actually work with him. Managers who have had him for longer periods are better versed talking about Gareth than myself.

“But he has been absolutely fantastic for us, he is a great lad off the pitch, he has mixed in really well with the rest of the lads and has been our best player in nearly all the games we have played so far.”