Barry wants Robinho at City

England international and Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry has urged Brazilian star Robinho to stay at Manchester City, and claimed that any team in the world would welcome him.

Robinho’s future at Eastlands appears to be in doubt and he has been linked with a move to Barcelona.

He is also a candidate to feature in his country’s friendly international with England in Doha on Saturday despite injuries having sidelined him at City.

But, despite all the controversy, England midfielder Barry is keen for his club-mate to show his commitment to Mark Hughes’ side.

Barry said: “Robinho is one of the best players in the world and the way he plays football is typically Brazilian.

“All his flair and attacking abilities are probably the best around.

“I’ve only played three or four games with him since I came to City at the start of the season.

“But training with him on a regular basis is superb and he is great to have around.

“He’s a big star for Man City and a big star for Brazil.

“I’m not too sure how his fitness is at the moment and he has missed a lot of games for us.

“But I’m keen for Robinho to stay and he is a class player any team in the world would welcome.”

The possible absence of skipper John Terry with a calf injury has added to England’s problems and they will be missing many of their first-choice players.

But Barry is urging the players who are given a chance to use it to stake their claim to be part of Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad next summer.

England were decimated in similar fashion when they took on Germany in Berlin 12 months ago and produced an excellent performance to triumph 2-1.

Barry said: “When the fixture was announced, a lot of the players were looking forward to coming out here and playing Brazil but all the injuries seem to have come together.

“At the same time, the chance is now presenting itself for a lot of players to stake their claims.

“We are playing against the best team in the world so, if you can perform to a good level against them, it’s going to put you forward in line for the World Cup.

“The history for England recently has been injuries leading up to the big tournaments and, touch wood, that doesn’t happen next year.

“But you do need a big squad so there will be players trying to put their name forward.”

Barry is a massive fan of Brazilian football and knows a win against them would add to the high level of confidence that has developed among the players after clinching a World Cup spot with nine victories from 10 qualifying games.

He said: “I suppose, when I was growing up, the player that stands out would have been Ronaldo, who was a great striker.

“Brazil have always had great flair and have been the number one nation in football for a lot of years.

“To put in a performance against Brazil and get a victory would lift everyone’s spirits. The confidence is already high but a victory would send it through the roof.

“Playing Brazil is something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. To test yourself against them, with their history, is a big challenge.”