Leighton Baines says Gareth Barry showed on Saturday why his switch will be Manchester City’s loss and Everton’s gain.
And the Blues’ left-back has revealed that view is also shared within the home dressing room at the Etihad Stadium.
Baines, an international teammate of several Manchester City players, told evertontv after the weekend win over Chelsea that there was disappointment amongst the players at Eastlands that the 32-year-old had been deemed surplus to requirements.
Barry made 41 appearances last term for the Premier League runners-up but new boss Manuel Pellegrini allowed him to make the loan switch to Goodison Park on transfer deadline day.
“I’ve known Gareth through the England setup and I’ve always rated him really highly,” Baines said.
“The City lads on the last international break were saying that they can’t believe that they haven’t kept him and he doesn’t play for them. That says enough about his worth for any team he plays in.
“Everyone rates him who he plays with and he has come in and shown what a great asset he is going to be for us.
“We’ve seen straight away what he can give to the team.
“I’m sure Gaz will tell you that he has not played as much as he would have liked and he has already produced a performance like that. If he plays like that most weeks, he is going to add to the team.”
Everton were unable to break down the stubborn resistance of West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City before the international break, playing out two successive stalemates.
However, Baines felt that Chelsea’s attacking intent actually worked in Everton’s favour at the weekend.
He continued: “A large part of that [win] was because we played someone who came to try and beat us. The sides that we have played against have sat back and kept men behind the ball and tried to frustrate us. They have been difficult to break down.
“A side like Chelsea are going to come here to try and win the game. They are challenging for titles. It made the game more open and probably made for a better watch.”