Everton: Thierno Barry, the French nugget with an atypical career who is panicking the Premier League

At 23, Thierno Barry is making a name for himself on the other side of the Channel. The French striker from Everton stood out again on Sunday, during the draw against Hull City (2-2), by scoring a goal in the 68th minute which allowed the Toffees to take the advantage.

Served after an interception by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, the 1m95 player finished his action perfectly to sign his sixth achievement of the season in eight appearances in all competitions. With three goals in the Premier League and a hat-trick in the League Cup against Preston (0-4), the Lyonnais has already almost made up for his record from the previous year, which ended with eight goals.

Everton, undefeated in the league and fifth in the standings after six days, can count on their center forward, despite a lack of efficiency which still resulted in a few missed opportunities against Hull. To understand this rise in power, we must return to a path that is far from linear.

Passed by Toulon, Thierno Barry joined Sochaux in 2021, but never managed to join the first team and played with the reserve. While he could have gotten bogged down, he took charge of Belgium and SK Beveren in the summer of 2022.

This is where he really exploded: 20 goals and 5 assists in 33 matches, in all competitions, allowed him to reveal himself and land a new opportunity. FC Basel then opened its doors to him in 2023.

In Switzerland, he confirmed his potential with 12 goals during his first season in all competitions, before a more mixed second year. He finally joined Villarreal in the summer of 2024 and discovered La Liga, where he scored 11 goals in the league, before finally discovering the Premier League and Everton.

From the Sochaux reserve to the English elite, his rise was built step by step, without taking the most traditional route… A winding journey But behind the center forward's statistics, there is above all a story of perseverance. In a video published on YouTube by content creator Just Riadh, the international hopeful looked back on his beginnings, marked by several position changes.

"When I was little, I told my coach that I wanted to be a striker, he told me: All young people want to be a striker, you are going to be a defender." Despite everything, I finished top scorer in my category in U11. Then, I played right side and left side in U16.

Then, when I arrived at Toulon, I said I was number 10: they left me in midfield, but I dribbled too much… So, I started playing on the side and in front.