Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 7y

Manchester City's David Silva the best I have worked with - Gareth Barry

Gareth Barry has said Manchester City's David Silva is the best player he has ever worked with as he prepares for a reunion with his old teammate at the Etihad on Saturday.

Everton midfielder Barry was this week presented with a Guinness World Record award for making the highest number of starts in the Premier League.

He became the third player -- after Ryan Giggs and Frank Lampard -- to make more than 600 Premier League appearances, with 132 of those coming for City.

The 35-year-old played alongside Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure at the Etihad -- but he said Silva was the best of the lot.

"I loved playing with David Silva at City," the ex-England international added.

"When I received the ball, every time I looked up he seemed to be acres of space that you could find him in."

Barry credits former Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill as the manager who had the biggest influence on his career after converting him from a defender into a midfielder.

But he said ex-City boss Roberto Mancini was the best at getting the most from his players, with Barry winning an FA Cup winners' medal and Premier League title during his four seasons at City.

"Mancini, he got a good reaction," Barry added. "But he didn't always have the best reputation with some of the players.

"He'd fall out with a lot of them and that would be the reason -- he'd get under people's skins to try to get a reaction."

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