Davies glad of Barry stay

Barry: Davies praise

Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies believes selling Gareth Barry in the January transfer window would have been the 'worst thing' the club could have done.

Barry was strongly linked with a transfer to Liverpool in the summer and, while a move failed to materialise, rumours suggested he could be the subject of renewed interest in the New Year.

But the England midfielder recently pledged his commitment to the Villa Park outfit, confirming he will stay for the rest of the season.

Davies was confident Villa, who currently lie fifth, had no plans to cash-in on Barry and feels the 27-year-old is a key member of the squad.

The centre-back told the Birmingham Mail: "We never thought it was an issue anyway.

"We all knew Gareth was staying. If the club weren't going to sell him in the summer then why would they sell him January when we are challenging the top four?

"It would be the worst thing we could ever do. It was good for him to come out and say it for the fans. Now they know he is not going to be running off in January.

"Gareth has been one of our top players here for many years so the longer we can keep hold of him the better."