Thierno Barry vows nothing will stop him after home burgled during Everton's Carabao Cup win

Thierno Barry has pledged to make this season his own after his home was burgled while he netted his seventh goal of the campaign in Everton’s Carabao Cup win over Newcastle United on Thursday.

The 24-year-old striker’s partner Charlene revealed the break-in via Instagram in the early hours of Friday morning, explaining that the family — including their one-year-old daughter Alayna — had been at Hill Dickinson Stadium watching Barry play when the raid took place. “Unfortunately, our home was burgled this evening while we were at the football match,” she wrote. “Thankfully, nobody was home at the time, but this is still an extremely distressing and violating experience for us and our family.” Charlene added that the family were willing to offer a financial reward for information leading to those responsible.

Barry addressed the incident in his own social media post on Friday evening, choosing his words carefully. “I took some time to write this so I wouldn’t speak in the heat of the moment — something I learned from last season,” he wrote. “Honestly, regarding what happened during yesterday’s match, all I can think about is that my family wasn’t at home and could have been right there next to me at the stadium. Things could have been so much worse.”

The Guinea international reflected on the risks of sharing his personal life publicly. “Maybe I’ve been too open about my family’s life and mine, potentially putting them at risk, all just to show my lifestyle and inspire others,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, in life, there are people and things beyond our control. This has been a lesson for me.”

Despite the ordeal, Barry was unequivocal about his ambitions for the rest of the campaign. “NOTHING and NO ONE will stop me from making this season MY season,” he wrote.

The striker is already within one goal of matching his entire tally of eight from last season, with more than half of his current strikes coming in the Carabao Cup — including a hat-trick against Preston North End in the second round. His goal against Newcastle ensured Everton progressed to the next round of the competition, where they will travel away in the Premier League.