Next Monday sees the return of a former player. In most cases that does not matter but in Gareth Barry’s case then it is a return that I believe will split Villa supporters and their feelings towards him.

Barry played over 400 times for us in a decade since he made his debut at 17 and it was a debut I saw at Sheffield Wednesday and he looked quality then. However throughout his Villa years he at times struggled to state what his true position was, was he a left sided central defender, a left back, a left winger ?

It has been stated on many times he was on the verge of leaving us on a couple of occasions most notably for nearly £4m to Portsmouth before MON joined us. It was MON who gave him the confidence to be the main man in the centre of midfield and it was MON and Villa that gave him his chance in the England team, remembering the Villa fans backed him for years to be in the team, so how does he repay us ?

“Barry, 27, said: “My mind’s made up, I want to join Liverpool. There’s no going back, it’s time for me to move on. I’m desperate to play Champions League football and that’s why I have to leave Villa.”

“It’s seven weeks now since the season finished but while the gaffer’s found time to be a pundit for the BBC at Euro 2008, he hasn’t found the time to speak to me. But Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has shown how much he wants me at Anfield.”

Now the story from then has been well written and eventually he got his move but not the Champions league he wanted though as I type this Man City are looking good against West Ham and I guess we all have our views on him and we will see in a weeks time what the reaction will be.

However for me, no matter how good a player he is, those comments for which he has never withdrawn even in that pathetic letter he sent when he left I will not forgive him. Will I boo, hmmm not sure, but for certain I will not clap him as some say they will.