John Barnes

Ken Barnes hailed from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago emigrating to Jamaica in 1956 as a member of the West India Regiment.

He joined the Jamaica Defence Force when formed after the nation's 1962 independence when he was initially commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Jamaica Regiment.

John Charles Bryan Barnes (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager.

Often considered one of the greatest England players of all time, Barnes currently works as an author, as well as a commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport.

Initially a quick, skilful left winger, he moved to central midfield later in his career.

Barnes won two League titles and two FA Cups with Liverpool.

He was also an FA Cup runner-up with Watford, Liverpool and Newcastle United.

He earned 79 international caps for England.

Barnes was born and raised in Jamaica as the son of a military officer from Trinidad and Tobago and a Jamaican mother.

He moved to London, England, with his family when he was 12 years old.

In 1973, he was promoted to colonel remaining in the army until retiring in 1989.

While in the army, he was a semi-professional footballer for a Jamaica National Premier League club and also captained the Jamaica national football team.

Barnes spent his early childhood living in Jamaica's biggest military base, playing football and living a disciplined life.

His father was president of the Jamaica Amateur Swimming Association and later formed Jamaica's first bobsleigh team.

Barnes' father was a huge squash and football fan who encouraged his son to pursue sports, having named him after Welsh footballer John Charles.

Ken Barnes, who was promoted to Colonel in 1973, was appointed Defence adviser to the High Commission of Jamaica, London (1976–1981), and Barnes moved to London with his family in January 1976, when he was 12 years old.

He attended the rugby-playing St Marylebone Grammar School then a short stint at Haverstock School, Camden Town.

While at school he played four years of youth football at the Stowe Boys Club in Paddington.

Barnes was noticed by Watford as a teenager while playing for Middlesex League club Sudbury Court.

He joined Watford aged 17 in 1981, before playing 296 competitive games for them, scoring 85 goals.

After a successful trial game in Watford's reserves, Barnes signed on 14 July 1981 for the fee of a set of kits.

Barnes debuted aged 17 as a substitute on 5 September 1981 in a Football League Second Division 1–1 home draw with Oldham Athletic.

With manager Graham Taylor, Watford were eight months away from completing a five-year rise from the Fourth Division to the First.

Barnes quickly established himself as a regular player and scored 12 Second Division goals as Watford were promoted, as runners-up to fierce rivals Luton Town to the top flight of English football at the end of season 1981–82.

Watford finished runners-up for the League title to Liverpool the season after.

He debuted for England in 1983, and in 1987 joined Liverpool for £900,000.

In his ten seasons there, Liverpool won the then-top-flight First Division twice and the FA Cup twice.

He scored 106 goals in 403 matches.

Watford lost the 1984 FA Cup final as under-dogs 2–0 to Everton.

Barnes was the PFA Players' Player of the Year once (in 1987–88) and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year twice (in 1987–88 and 1989–90).

By the time of his last cap, in 1995, he had more caps than any other black England player.

After two years at Newcastle United, he ended his playing career at Charlton Athletic in 1999.

Barnes had eight months as Celtic head coach when his former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish was director of football.

Barnes has published two books: John Barnes: The Autobiography (1999), which was followed by The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism (2021), both of which were met with a largely positive reception.

In 2022, he returned to Liverpool as an official Club Ambassador.

Barnes was born in Jamaica, to Roderick Kenrick "Ken" Barnes (a Trinidadian) and Frances Jeanne Hill (a Jamaican).

In 2005, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

In 2006, in a poll of Liverpool fans' favourite players, Barnes came fifth; a year later, FourFourTwo magazine named him Liverpool's best all-time player.

He has since managed the Jamaica national team, in 2008–09, and English club Tranmere Rovers, for four months in 2009.

In 2016, The Times readers voted him England's greatest-ever left-footed player.