The appearance leaves him cup-tied for the Champions League should he move to Liverpool.

Barry, stripped of the Villa captaincy earlier this summer during the bitter wrangle between the two clubs, is now ineligible for the Champions League group stages having appeared in the UEFA Cup third qualifying round first leg against FH Hafnarfjordur in Reykjavik.

But O'Neill insisted the England midfielder was keen to play.

"He's our player, and he wanted to play in the game, and we think he's mentally tuned into it so that's all that matters," he told BBC Radio Five. However, O'Neill admits the latest development does not necessarily rule out a move to Merseyside for the player.

He added: "I wouldn't be particularly sure until the transfer deadline passes what might materialise, so we'll see."