News'A tremendous honour' - John Barnes on his new Anfield mural
John Barnes considers the new Anfield mural created in recognition of his Liverpool legacy to be a 'tremendous honour'.
Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players in the club’s history, Barnes is now the subject of a striking piece of street art on Balfour Street in L4 – a short distance from the stadium he graced over a glorious 10-year Reds career.
Barnes, now an official LFC ambassador, told Liverpoolfc.com: “It’s a tremendous honour because I’ve been looking around since they started doing them and thought, ‘When am I going to get one? I’d love one!’, particularly as it is appropriately in the area of Anfield.
“I’m so happy that it’s on working class people’s houses, the people who are the fans of Liverpool Football Club. That’s where it all started over 100 years ago.
“People talk about having it on the Liver Building or another iconic place in Liverpool, but there is no better place to have it than on the side of a house right by Anfield – not just in terms of the fans seeing it, but in terms of where it belongs. You are part of the community and that is where the community is.
“Football is a working-class sport, football is part of the community. From Bill Shankly’s time, you have to have a respect for the community, the community that respects you. You have an association with them, so that is the perfect place for it to be.”
Photo messages kept Barnes up to date with the progress of the mural while it was being created and the former England international joked: “The end product is very pleasing – I would probably have preferred them to use an image of me in the tight shorts, though, when I was looking younger and fitter and more handsome, but it’s fine!”
Barnes made 407 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 108 goals and winning two league titles, one FA Cup and one League Cup.