By Sulayman Bah
Gambia’s Hamza Barry has asked not to be compared to former teammate Nikola Vlasic.
20-year-old Croatian midfielder played along with Barry before leaving Croatian top tier side Hajduk Split for a move to English Premier League outfit Everton in a reported to be £3.60m transfer.
Such was Vlasic’s impact at Split that Gambian player Hamza Barry has found himself being viewed as the likely replacement for the departed Croat.
But the former Gambia Ports Authority man doesn’t savour the comparisons and prefers not to be seen as his ex-teammate’s successor.
‘I’m already sorry for the comparison with Vlasic. I’ve already said this a dozen times and I hope this is the last one.
Vlasic is a great football player and we are really missing him, but I’m not his heir. My teammates will help me progress with my career.’ the 22-year-old says.
Barry has been an instant hit with the Croatian club leading him being tossed around various positions by Spaniard and gaffer Joan Carrilo owing to his versatility.
He added, ‘I prefer to play forward and feel better when I get closer to the attack and participate in the grip, but I will play in every position that the coach places me and where the team is going for me.’
A graduate of Nusrat and fondly dubbed ‘Sasman’, the attacking midfielder recently inked a three-year deal in a club record €250,000 move.
