Oh, Barry Robson, a son of Scotland, born on the 7th of November, 1978. As a sprightly lad, he found fame as a sleek and sturdy midfielder, primarily keeping the heart of the park in check. His sculpted physique stood a notch above his contemporaries at 1.81m (5ft 11in) and he weighed in at a steadfast 75kg (11st 11lb).
In a pair of fresh boots, Barry kicked off his career with a stint at the Premiership's Rangers in July 1995. Yet, Rangers couldn’t seem to appreciate his raw talent, so he was swiftly bundled off to Inverness CT in 1997, where Scottish League One welcomed him with open arms. Quite the busy little bee, wasn't he?
During his time at Inverness, our Mr. Robson warmed up with 23, yes you've read correctly, twenty-three appearances, netting a reasonable three goals. Not one for half measures, he trudged on, accumulating a grand total of 134 appearances and 21 goals over the seasons. Explore these numbers as you please, you've plenty to ponder over.
In search of fresh pastures in 2003, Barry found himself in the lap of Premiership’s Dundee United for a price of around £100k. Quite a profitable change of scenery, wouldn't you say? His stay here came with its shares of ups and downs, as he made a massive 145 appearances and even managed to turn some heads with 32 goals.
Heading to greener pastures, he joined Celtic, on the Premiership stage once again in 2008. Celtic, that was in need of fresh blood, saw him as the golden goose - ready to dish out a whopping £1.3m for his services.
With 42 appearances and a meagre 4 goals in his tenure at Celtic, Robson sought new challenges that led him to the Championship grounds of Middlesbrough, in 2010. After enjoying his mercurial rise, he ended up crossing the Atlantic, joining Vancouver Whitecaps in 2012. By January 2013, he found himself back in England with Sheffield United, presumably because he missed the weather. After a short-lived stay there, he returned to Scottish football, this time with Aberdeen, consistently scoring goals and ruffling defenders’ feathers.
Eventually, Barry took a seemingly unplanned departure from Aberdeen in 2016. Now, he remains a part of the football folklore, comparisons to his determination and grit only met with a stale chuckle or a affectionate shake of the head. His journey is a testament to the vagaries of this beautiful game called football, where one can go from Gold to Gravel back to Gold, all in the span of one career.
