A video circulated last season showing Thierno Barry in tears during a one-on-one coaching session. The Everton striker had reached a breaking point, struggling to find form and unable to train his way back into confidence. The raw emotion captured in that moment became a turning point in his journey at the club.
Scott Chickelday, the individual coach working with Barry that day, witnessed the depth of his distress firsthand.
"He was on the floor when I met him and that video obviously shows it,"Chickelday recalls.
"That was real emotion. They were true tears."
The assumption often exists that elite athletes navigate their careers without struggle, but when form deserts a player under intense scrutiny, the psychological toll can become overwhelming. Barry's willingness to share the footage publicly signalled a shift in his mindset, though Chickelday recognised the gamble involved.
"It could have gone two ways for him,"he concedes.
Instead, the response proved overwhelmingly supportive. Everton supporters recognised something in that vulnerability that changed their perspective.
"When you play badly as a player you get labelled for picking up your money and not caring. That video, a lot of Everton supporters have looked at it and thought, 'you know what, yes, he does bloody care'."
Barry's decision to seek out Chickelday's guidance demonstrated his commitment to improvement. The striker threw himself into extra work during the close season, attending additional fitness camps to build both physical and mental resilience.
"He has had a big pre-season, putting himself in extra camps to get fit, to get himself mentally tougher."
The transformation has been evident on the pitch. Barry opened the campaign with a goal in Everton's victory over Crystal Palace, followed by a hat-trick in the League Cup win at Preston. According to FotMob, he has now scored five goals across all competitions in 2026–27, including two in five Premier League appearances. Most recently, he netted the decisive goal against Ipswich.
Last season presented a steep learning curve. Barry featured in all 38 of Everton's Premier League matches following his move from Villarreal, with 21 starts and 17 substitute appearances yielding eight goals. The transition to English football proved more demanding than anticipated, particularly given his relative inexperience at the highest level.
According to Liverpool Echo reporting, Barry's first Premier League goal came on 6 December 2025, ending a gruelling run of 17 matches, 737 minutes and 19 shots without scoring. That drought tested his resolve and contributed to the emotional crisis captured in Chickelday's coaching session.
Chickelday describes Barry as one of the most likeable people he has encountered, yet acknowledges the toll that professional football exerts on young players adjusting to new environments.
"He has got a young baby too so he has had a lot going on. I know supporters will not look at that side of things because all they see is what he does on a Saturday. But he was adjusting to what is probably one of the toughest leagues in the world."
Barry's career trajectory has been unconventional. He progressed through Sochaux's reserve team before spending single seasons in Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and England respectively. His spell at Everton now represents his longest tenure at any club, a stabilising factor that should aid his development.
When Gunter Vandebroeck, his former coach at Beveren in Belgium, spoke ahead of Barry's Premier League arrival, he identified a player who was
"hungry and determined"but acknowledged significant room for tactical improvement. At 23 years old, Barry remains far from a finished product.
Chickelday's coaching focuses on preparing Barry for the specific demands of David Moyes' system at Everton. The work centres on positioning and finishing in areas where the team is most likely to create opportunities.
"It is about being better in those areas of his game so that when he does find himself in those areas, he is equipped to score. We work a lot on one-touch finishing within the width of the six-yard box. He has just got to get that consistency in his game now."
Mental resilience has emerged as the critical factor in Barry's development. The challenge is not merely about the chances he misses, but rather preventing those misses from contaminating his confidence for subsequent opportunities.
"It is about being mentally tough. It is about resetting. You have to back yourself. It is the Harry Kane mindset. If you miss an opportunity, that has gone. It is on to the next one. You can still go out there on a Saturday and score goals even if you have not scored in the previous three games."
Chickelday has observed this principle across his work with elite strikers.
"Since working with players at this level, that is what I have learned. Talent gets you through the door. Confidence and mindset get you longevity and success. He struggled with that and he needed to get better at it. But he has got better as time has gone."
Barry's body language occasionally draws criticism, yet Chickelday argues this perception masks his true emotional state.
"He comes across as this big, confident person when you see his goal celebrations but there are times when he has been low in confidence underneath."
Statistical analysis supports Barry's broader contribution beyond goalscoring. He ranks among the Premier League's top-five players this season for both counter pressures and high-speed runs while pressing opponents, indicating significant defensive work-rate and intensity.
According to reporting from the Liverpool Echo, Everton's attempted £40 million move for Folarin Balogun collapsed on transfer deadline day, leaving Barry as David Moyes' only recognised centre-forward after Beto and Iliman Ndiaye were sold. This absence of alternatives places significant responsibility on Barry's shoulders but also provides him with guaranteed playing time to prove his worth.
The Road Ahead
Barry's immediate challenge involves maintaining his recent form and reducing the inconsistency that plagued his first campaign.
"It is about not having fewer drop offs and becoming more consistent. I am sure that he will. And if he gets it right, he will go on to become a very good striker in the Premier League."
Everton face Hull City away in the Premier League on 11 October 2026, offering Barry another opportunity to demonstrate his progress. The signs suggest a player who has genuinely turned a corner, both mentally and tactically.
From the depths of despair captured in that coaching session, Barry has rebuilt himself. The Everton fanbase, having witnessed his vulnerability and determination, now stands firmly behind him.
"He was so low. But he pulled himself back up."
