'No doubt' - Dave Challinor makes Louie Barry prediction and shares secret to unlocking Sheffield Wednesday star
Sheffield Wednesday attacker Louie Barry is continuing to recover from an ankle injury.
Former Stockport County manager Dave Challinor has backed Louie Barry to shine at Sheffield Wednesday when he returns from his ankle injury, describing him as a “deadly” operator in League One.
Barry, who joined the Owls from Aston Villa in July, was ruled out for up to three months in early September after suffering an ankle injury during Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park. Having opened the scoring against the Chairboys, Barry jolted his ankle just a few minutes later on an artificial surface located inches from the touchline.
He left the ground on crutches, and less than 48 hours later, it was announced that he would face an extended spell on the sidelines. The 23-year-old was beginning to get into his stride at the time, having scored twice and registered one assist in Wednesday’s 7-2 win over Bromley just three days before the trip to Wycombe.
Barry arrived at Hillsborough with a strong reputation in League One, having previously scored 20 goals in 56 appearances at that level. He had produced some of his best football at Stockport, scoring 15 goals in 23 appearances during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign.
Before leaving Villa Park to join Wednesday on a permanent basis, the attacker had been sent out on loan nine times, including three spells with Challinor at Stockport. During his three stints at Edgeley Park, Barry scored 29 goals in 56 appearances.
Having previously found the key to consistently getting the best out of Barry, Challinor believes the former Barcelona youngster’s move to Hillsborough came at the perfect time.
“It was a great move for Louie,” Challinor told The Football League Paper. “Loans are brilliant for giving you different experiences, but there comes a point when you need to put down roots.
“Louie actually said to me that Stockport felt like home. But it wasn’t - it was more like a holiday home and he needed to leave Aston Villa, sign a long-term contract and know for sure what the next two or three years would look like.
“That’s what he’s done and I’ve no doubt he’ll be a success there when he comes back from injury.”
Having played a key role in Barry’s development in recent years, Challinor has explained the secret to ensuring the attacker fulfils his full potential in the third tier.
Challinor added: “League One is a transitional league. In those transitional moments, Louie is a killer. He’s deadly. You need a system to exploit that.
“When I watched him in the Championship, he’d often get played wide in a 4-3-3. And if he had to track the full-back, he’d spend too much time away from the opposition goal.
“What we tried to do was come up with a system that allowed him to be further up the pitch for longer and have a little bit less responsibility defensively. Because in transition, whether he’s one-v-one or even one-v-three, if you get him towards the middle of the pitch, rather than bang out on the touchline, he’ll score goals.
“Coming off that left half space, onto his right foot, then the ability to repeat that right-footed finish, either into the far corner or dragging it into the post. He’s got that on lock, and having that sort of consistent finisher is worth its weight in gold at that level.”