BARRY RARING TO FACE REDS

Barry - looks set to face Liverpool on Saturday.

Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry insisted he is "strong enough mentally" to cope with the disappointment of a collapsed move to Liverpool ahead of Sunday's clash between the two sides at Villa Park.

And the England player is adamant he will now give "100 per cent" to Villa and that there is no ill feeling between himself and manager Martin O'Neill whose £18million valuation of the 27-year-old could not be met by the Reds.

Now Barry is concentrating on regaining full sharpness and fitness after missing a sizeable chunk of Villa's pre-season programme while the on-off transfer saga dragged on.

Barry, speaking for the first time since the move to Anfield fell through, said: "Will Sunday be strange? I am 100 per cent for Villa. That's all I'll be doing. That won't be strange at all.

"I've spoken to the manager and I've no problem giving 100 per cent for Aston Villa - and that will be starting against Liverpool on Sunday.

"Will the fans all be behind me? All I can do is give 100 per cent for the club. That is all the fans will want to see anyway. I am sure that will be enough."

Barry, who has two years left of his current Villa contract, admitted: "It has been a long summer. There was continuous speculation but I feel I am strong enough mentally and I'll be fine with it all now.

"Am I here for the long haul? I always take things a season at a time. This speculation happened at the end of last season and it has been decided I'll be staying at Villa.

"I'll take this season now, concentrate on that and hopefully we can improve on last season.

"Do I feel hung out to dry over what has happened? That is what the football business is all about. I am contracted to Villa. They set a fee and it wasn't matched. Rules are rules."

O'Neill disciplined Barry after he launched an attack on him in a Sunday newspaper article but the player is adamant there is no bad feeling between the pair.

He said: "Is there any ill feeling with Martin O'Neill? Not at all. The manager knows I will be giving 100 per cent for himself and the club and that will be fine for everyone.

"It's also nice hearing your team-mates wanting you to stay. We have got a great dressing room. You want everyone to stay really but I would have been disappointed if they wanted me to leave!"

Barry's desire to leave looks to have cost him the Villa captaincy, with Martin Laursen leading the side in the opening two league games with Manchester City and Stoke.

Barry said: "The manager has decided to change the captaincy and I've got no problem with that. Nigel Reo-Coker has done it and Martin Laursen has done it.

"I enjoyed being captain but it won't affect my performances."

Barry played 90 minutes at left-back against Icelandic part-timers FH Hafnarfjordur to help bolster his fitness before facing Rafael Benitez's side.

He said: "I feel I am getting back to my best. It is going to take a while. It wasn't the ideal pre-season for me so I guess the games are always the best thing.

"It was a nice run-out even if it was at left-back.

"How far am I away from my peak? I don't know. I suppose everyone will wait for top performances and then say I'm fit so I suppose I'll have to start producing some of those."