Now Barry struggles to build bridges at Villa
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Now grovel: Barry’s hard yards as the former Villa idol struggles to build bridges
For almost a decade, Gareth Barry's arrival at Aston Villa's training ground has been unspectacular. The England international is normally one of the first there, his black Aston Martin occupying one of the more prominent spaces.
There is no doubt that today will be different for the deposed Villa skipper and you can be certain he'll be under the scrutiny of Martin O'Neill's loyal lieutenants - John Robertson and Steve Walford will report everything.
Barry will walk past the reception desk and make a swift left turn into the corridor which leads to the manager's office. The man who once was accused by former Villa boss John Gregory of 'not getting his shorts dirty' has managed, quite nicely, to get his hands filthy in the past fortnight over his protracted transfer negotiations for a move to Liverpool.
No deal has been concluded and the war of words has been unseemly. Now Barry is in limbo and needs to make his peace with O'Neill.
It would be an understatement to say the manager was angry at the personal criticism levelled in his direction by Barry. Few have done that to one of Brian Clough's former men. Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen questioned why the Irishman needed to sign Scott Carson on loan last season and the Dane has not been seen since.
Barry is unlikely to get away with a ticking-off. O'Neill, blasted in public by his skipper just 17 days ago, has accepted the midfielder back into the fold - although it is clear that the longest serving player on the club's books will have to work far harder to win over fans who once idolised him.
He will return to training following confirmation from Anfield that Rafael Benitez does not have the money to tie up his main summer target.
The 27-year-old's switch was being funded by Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso's proposed move from Liverpool to Juventus. But with the Italian club's boss Claudio Ranieri having captured Christian Poulsen from Seville for $8million, the former Chelsea manager was quick to rule out an Anfield raid.
Alonso is happy to remain on Merseyside, so it seems that Benitez has the money for either Spurs striker Robbie Keane or Barry - not both. That has left Villa's man out in the cold - certainly for the time being - forcing him to head back to Villa Park, presumably after apologising first to the manager and club owner Randy Lerner. If anything, O'Neill was marginally less furious than the American, who has refused to budge from the $18m valuation set by the manager.
A source close to O'Neill said last week: 'When Gareth returns he will have to do a serious amount of grovelling.' O'Neill has managed to see off a late inquiry from Manchester City to land Brad Friedel for $2.5m as his firstchoice keeper on a three-year deal.
Blackburn Rovers were unhappy to lose a shot-stopper who is regarded by many as one of the most consistent in the Barclays Premier League. But the offer of a double-your money three-year deal - allied to the tie-up with compatriot Lerner has swayed it for the veteran.
Friedel, 37, is keen to set up his own football schools Stateside when he retires and the billionaire Villa Park owner has offered him the use of his network of contacts when he eventually calls it a day.
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Well done, Rafa.