John Charles Bryan Barnes, commonly known as John Barnes, is a former professional football player and manager who last served as a manager in 2009 for the English fourth-division club Tranmere Rovers. He is one of the most renowned former players in football, boasting extensive experience of playing at the top level in Europe during his playing career. He has won the Football Writer’s Association Footballer of the Year twice and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005, recognizing his contribution to English football.

John Barnes enjoyed a highly successful playing career, representing both Liverpool and the England national team. Many aspiring wingers in the current footballing world look up to him as a role model, thanks to his impressive success at Liverpool during his 10-year tenure at the senior level of the club. After retiring as a player and manager, he has embraced his love for Liverpool and become a devoted fan. He has also ventured into the music industry, collaborating with various labels and artists. In addition, he has found success as an author, football pundit, and commentator for ESPN and SuperSport.

In this article, we will delve into the key aspects of the Englishman’s life, exploring his early years, family background, net worth, career, and more.

Name	John Charles Bryan Barnes
Age	60 -year-old
Nationality	English, Jamaican
Birth Place	Kingston, Jamaica
Date of Birth	7 November 1963
Height	1.81 m
Star sign	Scorpio
Profession	Author, Football Pundit and Commentator for ESPN and SuperSport
Clubs Managed	Celtic, Jamaica, Tranmere Rovers
Net worth	$10 million
Family Member	Father –  Ken Barnes Mother – Frances Jeanne Hill Spouse – Suzy Barnes (1991–2001), Andrea Barnes (2006-till now) Children –  Jamie, Jasmin, Jemma, Jordan, Alexander, Isabella, and Tia Barnes Siblings – Gillian and Tracey Barnes

John Barnes | Early Life and Family

John Barnes was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on November 7th, 1963, in a small town. Growing up in a humble household with Jamaican roots, sports held a special place in his family’s heart. With a deep love for the sport since childhood and being the youngest in his family, he had the complete freedom and support to pursue soccer as a profession. The family’s sports background meant that he had the genes for it from the start.

John Barnes found love again with Andrea, his second wife, following the end of his previous marriage to Suzy. John Barnes has a lovely family with his previous wife Suzy, including two sons and two daughters. He also has a wonderful family with his current and second wife Andrea, consisting of two daughters and one son. The couple John Barnes and Andrea have taken on all of the children’s responsibilities, which has strengthened their bond and allowed them to live together harmoniously.

John Barnes | Club Career

Watford

Influenced by his father’s military personality, discipline, and passion for football, John Barnes started playing football from a very early age and was noticed by Watford as a teenager while playing for a local Middlesex League club Sudbury Court in 1981, successfully signed for the club on 14th July 1981 for a fee equivalent to a set of kits. Debuting at just 17 years old on 5th September 1981, he quickly established himself in the starting lineup and helped the club promote to the Premier League. After six seasons with Watford accumulating 63 goals, Barnes caught the eye of a few top European clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool, and the player eventually ended up signing for Liverpool on 12th June 1987 under Kenny Dalglish.

Liverpool

Following his debut for the club on 15th August 1987, Barnes had an impressive first season, scoring 15 goals and playing a key role in helping his team secure the Premier League title. After being voted as the PFA Player of the Year, Barnes carried his impressive form into the following seasons, making over 200 goal contributions for Liverpool. His efforts were instrumental in the club’s victories in the Premier League title, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the Caraboa Cup. Despite facing multiple challenges including injuries, the tragic Hillsborough incident, suspensions, and other issues, the player consistently showcased exceptional form for the club, making valuable contributions in every match.

Newcastle United

Despite all the success and trophies at Liverpool, John Barnes surprisingly left the club on a free transfer on 13th August 1997, and joined fellow Premier League side Newcastle United. After a good 1997/98 season in which Newcastle finished second on the Premier League table, Barnes was relegated to the reserve team in the 1998/99 season due to poor performances and a lack of pace in his game. Being totally aware of the unwantedness towards him from the new manager Ruud Gullit, Barnes left the club on a free transfer to Charlton Athletic on 10th February 1999.

Charlton Athletic

Making his debut for the newly-promoted side on 13th February 1999 in 1-0 win against his former club Liverpool, Barnes made 11 league appearances in the rest of the season, always coming on as a substitute and couldn’t provide any goal contributions for the team during his limited time at the club. Understanding the impact of aging on his game, Barnes announced his professional retirement from club football at the end of that season after nearly 20 years of playing career.

John Barnes | International Career

On the international level, despite being eligible to play for both Jamaica and England, Barnes played for England on his own choice, with FIFA’s eligibility criteria allowing him to play for any country of which he had a passport.. After successful performances at the youth level for the England national team, Barnes earned his first cap for the senior England national team on 28th May 1983 against Northern Ireland. Barnes participated and performed well in several international tournaments for the senior national team, including the 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 1988 European Championship, the 1990 FIFA World Cup, the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and other qualifying matches.

Getting his 69th and last cap on 6th Spetember 1995 in a 0-0 draw against Columbia for England, Barnes took retirement from international football later that year, after becoming one of the top ten most capped players for the England national team.

John Barnes | Managerial Career

After his disappointing exit from Newcastle United and Charlton, Barnes was presented another opportunity and was appointed head coach for Celtic under Kenny Dalglish as director of football on 8th June 1999. Barnes was sacked 8 months into his new role, after a disappointing 3-1 defeat against a lower division club in the 1999/20 Scottish Cup.

10 years later, Barnes was appointed head coach of the Jamaica national team on 16th September 2008, and guided his side to a first-place finish in the 2008 Carribean Championships, qualifying as the top Carribean side for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. After a good display with his country and stating his desire to return to the club management job at Sky Sports in February 2009, Barnes was appointed head coach for the EFL League One side Tranmere Rovers, after the collapse of a potential deal with EFL League Two side Port Vale.

With Tranmere, Barnes got off to a terrible start with only 3 wins in the first 14 league matches of the club. Due to disastrous management, Barnes was sacked by the club on 9th October 2009, after a run of just two wins from last 11 league games, and since then, he has not come back to the managerial job until now, working professionally as a football pundit and commentator on a regular basis for ESPN and SuperSport in recent times

John Barnes | Records and Statistics

John Barnes’ statistics as a player, encompassing all his appearances and goal contributions for the teams he played for during his long career, are presented in the table below:

Teams	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Liverpool	406	107	94
Watford FC	235	64	3
Newcastle United	41	7	1
Charlton Athletic	11	0	0
England	79	11	5

John Barnes | Net Worth

Reportedly, John Barnes’ estimated net worth is around $10 million, with a significant portion of his income coming from the high-end salary he earns as a football TV pundit and commentator for ESPN and SuperSport. The Englishman has also earned quite a lot from his handsome wages with numerous clubs during his player and managerial career.

FAQs

Q. How old is John Barnes?

Ans. John Barnes is currently 60 years old.

Q. When did he start his senior playing career?

Ans. John Barnes began his playing career in 1980.

Q. What is the birthplace of John Barnes?

Ans. John Barnes was born in Kingston, Jamaica.

Q. How many trophies has John Barnes won?

Ans. John Barnes has won 11 major trophies, all with a single club Liverpool.

Q. When did John Barnes stop playing?

Ans. John Barnes announced his retirement from professional football in the summer of 1999..