Aston Villa have disciplined want-away skipper Gareth Barry after he criticised manager Martin O'Neill in a Sunday newspaper interview.
O'Neill has also insisted Villa have not received a new bid from Liverpool for the England midfielder, who will not be present when Villa report back for pre-season training at Bodymoor Heath on Thursday.
Liverpool were linked with a new £15million offer for 27-year-old Barry but O'Neill said: "There is no truth in this morning's reports and the situation remains the same.
"Gareth will not be returning to training tomorrow and he has been disciplined after giving an unauthorised interview to the News of the World."
A club statement confirmed: "Gareth Barry will not be returning for pre-season training tomorrow (Thursday)."
Barry upset O'Neill by suggesting the Villa boss was more interested in being a TV pundit for the Euro 2008 finals than speaking to him over his future.
He said: "It's seven weeks now since the season finished but while the gaffer found time to be a pundit for the BCC at Euro 2008, he hasn't found time to speak to me.
"The last time we spoke was just after England's game in Trinidad at the start of June - and that's it.
"It just made me think that the gaffer and the club were just saying one thing in public but were not bothered about me at all in private. What other conclusion can you reach?"
Liverpool has so far made bids of around £10million, £12million and £13million for Barry who has been at Villa for 10 seasons but wants to play Champions League football with the Reds.
But O'Neill, despite being resigned to losing Barry, is adamant he will not accept less than £18million.
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Comment 1 - 2 of 2
if england had qualified for euro 2008 and barry was in the squad, would barry have criticised martin and randy for ignoring him then.barry should be praising martin for getting him into the england squad,because if it was not for martin and the players surrounding him at villa barry would still be an average player.
barrys dream could be realised at villa but instead he is walking into an nightmare.
villa is my blood,tom
WHO DOSE BARRY THINK HE IS, SOME SUPER STAR I'M A VILLA FAN AND AS FAR AS I AM CONSERNED HE CAN SIT THE REST OF HIS CONTRACT OUT IN THE RESERVES, OR ON THE BENCH, AND AS FAR AS A TESTERMONIAL THIS IS ONE GUY WHOE WONT BE THERE TO HELP LINE HIS POCKETS
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