At St James’ Park, Thierno Barry’s celebration began with a knee slide and ended with a dance. Five days earlier, he had scored against Newcastle too. The goals mark a striking change for an Everton striker who struggled to make an impact when he first arrived on Merseyside.
Barry has now scored eight goals in 12 games this season, matching the total he managed across 41 appearances last season. His latest came on Monday night, as Everton earned what the source described as a deserved Premier League win at Newcastle’s ground. Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, with 13 goals, has scored more than Barry’s eight among Premier League players in all competitions this season.
The 24-year-old joined Everton from Villarreal last summer for £27 million. He is now the club’s only recognised senior striker after Beto moved to Fiorentina, making Barry a key part of the team. His recent goals are also a sign of how far he has come since his difficult first months at Everton: across his first 16 games for the club, he had just one shot.
Last month, Barry posted a video of himself breaking down during a private training session last season. The image of that difficult moment stands in sharp contrast to the player celebrating in front of Newcastle’s crowd. Barry said he had worked hard over the summer and was pleased that the effort was showing in his performances.
“I was working a lot during the summer and now we can see the result,” he told Sky Sports. “The season is long but I’m happy to help the team with my goals.” He also said he wanted to enjoy the season more than the last one, and that he was happy with his celebration.
Barry’s run is especially important for Everton because there is no other recognised senior striker in the squad following Beto’s transfer. His goals have helped the team at a key point in the season, while his growing confidence offers a sharp contrast with the early struggles that followed his move from Spain. Barry grew up watching Wayne Rooney and Romelu Lukaku play for Everton, and his scoring now gives supporters a reason to hope he can make his own mark at the club.
There was a dispute over his latest goal. Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle told BBC Sport there had been “a clear foul on Fabian Schar” in the build-up. The complaint adds a note of controversy to a night that otherwise underlined Barry’s progress. The season is still long, as Barry himself noted, and his challenge will be to keep producing. For now, matching last season’s total in just 12 games is a clear measure of how quickly his story at Everton has changed.