GARETH BARRY SHOWS HIS WORTH

NOW he's a full member of England's platinum card club, it is hoped Gareth Barry handles the spotlight.

It's not now a time for him to start doing stepovers or hit 30-yard yard screamers. England have got Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard for the stardust.

Click here to see more great pictures from Kazakhstan 0, England 4

The signs were encouraging in Almaty as Barry grew stronger after a sticky start. And he helped secure a win, which has surely booked England's World Cup ticket.

Barry has the distinction of being the only ever-present in the 14 games under Three Lions boss Fabio Capello.

His reasons for joining Manchester City have been questioned - as he could have signed for Liverpool or Arsenal.

And, of course, the massive salary did turn his head above the prospect of playing Champions League football.

But maybe that will do England a favour when it comes to going to South Africa. Barry will be the linchpin for City and, with fewer high-octane games, he will be fresher.

Barry started this season back in July as Villa entered the Intertoto Cup. He is never going to be a player that thrills but, with him at the heart of the midfield, there was an assured confidence and composed shape about England.

Barry helped England overcome what was a poor start to prevail comfortably.

It was another shining example of Barry's strong character and team-work ethic. And, on this occasion, he even proved he can weigh in with the odd goal.

The day had not started too well though. Initial reports in the morning suggested that Barry had been involved in a training ground bust-up with Bolton's Gary Cahill on the eve of the game.

But FA sources claimed that was a case of mistaken identity and actually it had been West Ham defender Matthew Upson who had clashed with the England midfielder. Either way, it added a bizarre twist to some of the surreal circumstances that surrounded this game.

DELIGHT - Team-mates congratulate Gareth Barry

A week that had started with Barry becoming one of the world's best-paid players ended with this match against one of the world's poorest national football teams.

That England found themselves playing against an Asian country bordering China, Mongolia and Afghanistan in a European World Cup qualifying group was strange.

Since claiming a regular place, Barry has given the England midfield a tougher underbelly. His stealthy approach to the game has given Lampard and Gerrard a sturdier platform to play together with Barry effectively operating as an anchor man tucked in behind a midfield three and screening the back four.

Barry's unfussy, unselfish style in the middle of the park bears some resemblance to the way Capello operated when he played for Italy in the Seventies. That's probably a reason why Capello likes him so much.

And Barry - who will be suspended for the Andorra game on Wednesday - stepped up after a poor start.

Strangely Capello appeared to have tweaked the system. At the outset, it looked a more conventional midfield four, much flatter than it has been in recent games and England were under the cosh straight away.

It was to Barry's credit that he dug in and helped pull England through a crisis of confidence that lasted for most of the first half until he scored in the 39th minute.

The back four was all over the place while Theo Walcott, Gerrard and Lampard struggled. Kazakh ace Tanat Nusrbayev caused constant problems with his movement in the hole.

Walcott's failure to give Glenn Johnson protection meant that the Kazaks were a particular threat down their left.

LIONS ROAR - Emile Heskey makes it 2-0 just before the break

Barry did his best to plug the gaps and help out defensively on the right side too, but while not the worst offender, he was guilty of that familiar England problem of giving the ball away too cheaply early on.

He did so dangerously inside the centre circle in the 17th minute when he dawdled on the ball, hurried his pace, lost possession and ended up rugby tackling Zhambyl Kukeyev as he was poised to break away.

Barry was rightly shown the yellow card by Icelandic ref Kristinn Jokabsson. Barry didn't allow the mistake to upset his rhythm, although it took some time for England to properly assert themselves and could easily have gone behind.

STUNNER - Wayne Rooney scores

But gradually, as Barry's fetching and carrying improved, England improved - especially when Gerrard started to roam around more.

It was with an elegant piece of wing play by the Liverpool skipper that paved the way for Barry's opening goal.

Gerrard cut on to his right foot, sent over a cross to Barry who, unmarked, calmly sent a cushioned header back across and beyond the keeper to claim only his second England goal.

It was an effort which summed up the way Barry tends to keep things - simple.

With the benefit of the breathing space, England grew in confidence and Emile Heskey quickly made sure there would be no upset with a swift second.

Capello tickled things at half time with Shaun Wright-Phillips replacing Walcott and a more definite 4-1-3-2 shape restored with Barry in that front sweeper role.

England displayed far more authority in the second half as the Kazaks tired. Barry pulled the strings with Rooney and Lampard turning what had been a struggle into a stroll.

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