I played with Mark Noble and was coached by Souness but I hung up my boots at 21 for career in totally different sport

1 week ago 15

BECOMING a professional athlete comes with twists and turn but Keith Barker’s sporting career has been on a roller coaster.

Initially, Barker set his sights on a football career and his early days were spent at Blackburn Rovers.

But the 37-year-old left football behind and transitioned to cricket and has now been a professional cricketer for 15 years, representing both Warwickshire and Hampshire in the County Championship.

A switch that is quite uncommon as Barker went from earning a living by kicking a ball to mastering the art of batting and bowling.

He spoke with talkSPORT about his time as a footballer before switching to cricket.

Barker said: “I started at Blackburn Rovers at the age of nine and got offered a contract at 16, and I was there for another four years after that.

“I had a loan spell at Rochdale and Cercle Brugge, Blackburn Rovers’ feeder club.

“I then played in St Patrick’s in Ireland for a few months, and then, it slowly went downhill.

“I was at Northwich Victoria, and at that point, things weren’t looking too great, so at 21, I said I was done with it.

“I got offered a trial at Warwickshire against Hampshire, and it went from there.”

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After hanging up his boots at 21-years-old Barker has played in 163 first-class matches, amassing more than 5,000 runs and claiming over 500 wickets.

His cricket journey began when David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd first noticed his potential, leading to observations by Warwickshire’s second team and eventually a trial.

Barker’s performance during the trial was remarkable, marking the end of his football pursuits.

Along the way, he has also shared the field with several renowned players.

He continued: “[At England youth level] There was James Morrison, Mark Noble, David Nugent.

“I played for England Under-19s and 20s, and that was a good experience, and I learned a lot from that.”

Barker’s career path intersected with Mark Hughes, who had a successful four-year stint with the Rovers prior to joining Manchester City.

Although Barker may not have played for Blackburn’s senior team, he held Hughes in high regard.

He added: “Mark Hughes was a bit different.

“I didn’t spend that much time around the first team when he was there. He seemed like a good man-manager.

“I remember Craig Bellamy being there and Robbie Savage, who saw himself as the big fish. He had some egos in there, managed them well, and got the most out of them.”

While Barker’s football tenure was short lived it was filled with unforgettable memories playing under Graeme Souness who was boss at Blackburn during his youth career.

Barker said: “I would love to re-live those experiences – they were brilliant.”