John Barnes: The Liverpool Genius England Wasted

This is the complete story of John Charles Bryan Barnes, the most gifted footballer of his generation, from the streets of Kingston, Jamaica to becoming a two-time First Division champion and double Footballer of the Year with Liverpool FC. Born in Kingston in November 1963, the son of Colonel Ken Barnes of the Jamaican army, John Barnes moved to London in 1976 and was discovered playing non-league football for Sudbury Court after a taxi driver spotted him mid-game. Watford FC, managed by Graham Taylor and chaired by Elton John, signed the 17-year-old in 1981 for a set of kit. Barnes drove Watford to runners-up in the First Division in 1983 and an FA Cup final in 1984, then scored the greatest goal in England history, a solo run past the Brazil defence at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio on 10 June 1984. In June 1987 Kenny Dalglish signed Barnes for Liverpool for £900,000, alongside Peter Beardsley and John Aldridge, after Ian Rush left for Juventus. Despite hate mail and hostility before he arrived, Barnes produced the greatest individual season Anfield has ever seen: 29 league games unbeaten, 15 league goals, the 5-0 destruction of Nottingham Forest that Sir Tom Finney called the finest exhibition of football he'd ever witnessed, the First Division title, and both the FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Player of the Year awards in his debut season. The Kop nicknamed him Digger and he even starred on the Anfield Rap. This video also covers what Barnes carried: the racist abuse he faced at grounds across England, including the infamous banana photograph at Goodison Park in February 1988 during the Merseyside derby against Everton, and why Ian Wright calls him the Pioneer. It covers the Hillsborough disaster of April 1989 and how Barnes supported the grieving families, the Michael Thomas title heartbreak against Arsenal, his 22-goal season in 1989-90 to win a second title and second Footballer of the Year award, the ruptured Achilles in 1992 that changed everything, his reinvention as Liverpool captain mentoring Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Jamie Redknapp, and his England career of 79 caps that never matched his Liverpool brilliance under Bobby Robson. Barnes left Liverpool in 1997 after 407 games, 108 goals and a banner on the Kop that still reads Digger, 10, Poetry in Motion. CHAPTERS 0:00 The Photograph — Goodison Park 1988 0:55 Kingston to Vicarage Road — Watford 3:38 The Goal — Maracanã 1984 vs Brazil 5:53 £900,000 — Signing for Liverpool 8:12 The Masterpiece — 1987-88 Season 10:59 What He Carried 12:54 Darkest Spring, Second Crown — 1989-90 14:53 The Second Life — Injury, Captaincy, England 17:06 Poetry in Motion If you love Liverpool history, subscribe to The Anfield Archives for the stories behind the legends. ➡️    / @theanfieldarchives   #LiverpoolFC #JohnBarnes #PremierLeague #LFC #Anfield #EnglandFootball #FootballHistory #Liverpool All materials in these videos are used for educational purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. If you are or represent the copyright owner of materials used in this video and have a problem with the use of said material, please send us an email, [email protected], and we can sort it out. AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some of the links in this video's description are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, the owner may earn a commission if you click through, make a purchase, and/or opt-in.