John Barnes

John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager. John Barnes currently works as an author, commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport. Initially a quick, skilful left winger, John Barnes moved to central midfield later in his career. Barnes won two league titles with Liverpool, with whom John Barnes also won two cup finals at Wembley. John Barnes was also an FA Cup runner-up with Watford, Liverpool and Newcastle United. Barnes earned 79 international caps for England.

Barnes was born and initially raised in Jamaica as the son of a military officer from Trinidad and Tobago and a Jamaican mother. John Barnes moved to London, England with his family when John Barnes was 12 years old. Barnes joined Watford aged 17 in 1981 before playing 296 competitive games for them scoring 85 goals. John Barnes was a Watford 1984 FA Cup Final runner-up. John Barnes debuted for England in 1983 and in 1987 joined Liverpool for £2 million. In his 10 seasons there Liverpool won the then top-flight First Division twice and the FA Cup twice. John Barnes scored 106 goals in 403 matches. By the time of his last cap in 1995, John Barnes had more caps than any other black England player. After two years at Newcastle United, John Barnes ended his playing career at Charlton Athletic in 1999.

Barnes was the PFA Players' Player of the Year once (in 1987–88) and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year twice (in 1987–88 and 1989–90). In the run-up to England's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign John Barnes recorded a rap for the official team song, New Order's "World in Motion". In 2005, John Barnes was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. In 2006, in a poll of Liverpool fans' favourite players, Barnes came fifth; a year later, FourFourTwo magazine named him Liverpool's best all time player. In 2016, The Times readers voted him England's greatest ever left-footed player.

Barnes had 8 months as Celtic head coach when his former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish was director of football. Barnes has since managed the Jamaica national team in 2008–09 and English club Tranmere Rovers for four months in 2009.

Barnes has published two books, including John Barnes: The Autobiography (1999), which was followed by The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism (2021); the latter met with a largely positive reception.