As Louie Barry placed the ball on the penalty spot in front of a packed away end at Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium, he knew he had the opportunity to seal a place in Stockport County history.
No post-war player had ever scored in seven consecutive league games for Stockport County in a single season, yet just 12 games in to his County career the man on loan from Aston Villa had the chance to do exactly that.
The result was never in doubt – calmly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, with a confidence and swagger that we have come to expect from a 20-year-old that had taken life at Edgeley Park by storm since signing in the summer.
Those first few months of the campaign were littered with dazzling Louie Barry displays, with his performances up front helping to turn a stuttering start into a record-breaking run of form that saw us surge to the top of League Two.
That form was cruelly brought to an abrupt end in October after a serious muscle injury picked up in our win away at Crewe, with Louie since returning to parent club Aston Villa to undergo treatment.
As he continues his rehab and recovery in Birmingham, Media Executive Liam Richardson caught up with the man himself earlier this week to see how he’s getting on, as he prepares to return to Edgeley Park for the run-in at the back end of the season.
On how he’s doing:
“Yeah I’m doing really well, mentally I’m in a good place now as well. I think at the start it was hard to get my head around it, I was doing well. But mentally I’m getting better, because it’s going at a good pace, the injury and the rehab. Obviously it’s a long injury, so it’s going to be prolonged – you get setbacks, but you get comebacks as well so every day is a learning curve and I’m getting stronger every day.”
On his injury:
“It was hard mentally at the start. The ‘good news’ in a way was that straight away I knew the injury was bad, so the news that I needed surgery wasn’t a big shock to me, I was able to prepare myself for that. Obviously looking back at it I was in the form of my life, really enjoying my football and the team was on a roll as well. They carried on the run after I came out, I’ve been watching them every week – they’re doing well, and hopefully when I come back I can help push us over the line.”
On his return to action:
“I’ve been injured now for around ten weeks. We’re looking to be back training around the start of March, maybe a little bit later. We were going at a quick pace but then things have slowed down due to circumstances. It’s just about getting the muscle back and the strength back into my leg. That can take time, or it can turn a corner really fast – it’s going really well at the minute and I’m enjoying it to be fair. I’m enjoying going back into training, being back on the grass with light jogging so I got the feeling of putting my boots back on.”
On staying with County for the remainder of the season:
“It was definitely what I wanted to happen, I wanted to finish what was started this season, I want to lift the trophy if we get promoted, I want to come back and pick up where I left off, prove that I’m the same but also stronger than I was before. A timeline for me isn’t in my head, it’s just when I’m right, I’m right. I’ll definitely be back this season, I don’t know how many games, but I’ll be back and hopefully I can hit the ground running when I am.”
On watching County from afar:
“Because it’s been a busy schedule and I’m in on Saturdays I haven’t been able to get to many games, I came to the Colchester match, but hopefully I can get to a few more games before I’m back. I watch every game on TV – I feel like they’re doing really well, I know there’s been a few ups and downs but every team has those over the course of a season. We can get past that, I’ve seen them get past that – that 8-0 was crazy! The talent in the team is beyond mental.”
On his relationship with the County fans:
“Seeing everyone at the Colchester game was probably one of the most enjoyable days I’ve had. I feel a real connection since I’ve been here and that just solidified it. I felt at home when I came back, everyone welcomed me, the fans, the players, the staff – it was amazing and I just can’t wait to be back playing in front of the fans again.”
On Odin Bailey:
“Obviously Odin has his new deal which I’m buzzing about. I’ve seen the journey that he’s been on, he has loads of talent and he’s shown that, I think we really worked well together. He’s come into a really strong County team with the weight of the world on his shoulders, but I think I was able to help him at the start on the pitch and he’s just taken it from there. He’s been one of the best performers, we had a good link-up down the left but even when I came out of the team he was still hitting those heights that I know he can get, and I know he’s still got another three or four years of getting better as well. Buzzing for him and long may it continue.”
On using Kyle Wootton as an example:
“I like to see myself as someone who’s always one of the last ones to leave the gym or to leave the training session, I like to be one of the last ones still out there. But every time, before I got to the gym, Wootts was in there, when I left the gym, Wootts was still in there. He was just such a hard worker and that was even before he’d come back from his injury. Before my rehab, I definitely wanted to approach it in the same way that he’s done it, because he really hit the ground running and that was all down to him working so hard in the gym. So that’s where I am, I’m not cutting any corners, I’m not taking any shortcuts.”
On playing next to the big man once he’s back:
“I don’t think I’ve played with Wootts once yet, maybe for a couple of minutes at the end of the game. I really enjoyed playing with Tanto, he’s absolutely rapid and we terrorised defenders, but with Wootts we can look at the flick-ons and I love just getting in behind. I think it will be a real challenge for defenders, going up against pace and power.”
