Harvey Barnes

Harvey Lewis Barnes (born 9 December 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Newcastle United.

Barnes joined Leicester City at the age of nine before signing his first professional contract as well as making his first appearance for the club in 2016. He had loan spells with Milton Keynes Dons, Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion. He won the FA Community Shield with Leicester in 2021 before departing for Newcastle United in 2023.

At international level, Barnes has represented England at youth level, including winning the 2017 Toulon Tournament. He made his debut for the England senior team in 2020.

Early life
Harvey Lewis Barnes was born on 9 December 1997 in Burnley, Lancashire, and brought up in Countesthorpe, Leicestershire. He is the son of former professional footballer Paul Barnes. Both of his maternal grandparents were born in Scotland. In 2009, Barnes played for Greenfield Primary School in the Leicestershire & Rutland Schools Football Association competition known as The Rice Bowl. After leaving Greenfield, he attended Leysland High School and Countesthorpe College.

Youth career
Barnes is a product of the Leicester City academy, which he joined on 8 June 2007 at the age of nine. He signed his first professional contract with the club on 25 June 2016 and on 7 December made his debut for the first team as a second-half substitute in a 5–0 defeat away to Porto in the UEFA Champions League. During the first half of the 2016–17 Premier League 2 season for Leicester City U23, Barnes scored five goals and provided assists for five others.

Loan to Milton Keynes Dons
On 20 January 2017, Barnes joined League One club Milton Keynes Dons on loan for the remainder of the 2016–17 season. A day later, Barnes scored on his home debut as a 76th-minute substitute for Chuks Aneke in a 5–3 win over Northampton Town. Barnes followed his debut goal with another goal a week later, on 28 January, scoring in a 4–0 away win over rivals Peterborough United.

On 2 May 2017, after impressing with six goals in 21 appearances for the club, he was awarded Milton Keynes Dons' Young Player of the Year 2016–17 award.

On 21 July 2017, Barnes signed a new four-year contract, keeping him at Leicester until June 2021.

Loan to Barnsley and recall
On 11 August 2017, Barnes joined Championship club Barnsley on a season-long loan. The following day, he made his debut for the club as an 80th-minute substitute in a 1–2 home defeat to Ipswich Town. He scored his first goal for Barnsley against Sunderland on 26 August 2017.

On 1 January 2018, Barnes was recalled from his loan spell at Barnsley and returned to Leicester City.

He made his Premier League debut on 19 April 2018, as a 91st minute substitute in a 0–0 draw against Southampton.

Loan to West Bromwich Albion
In July 2018, after originally agreeing a deal to join Leeds United on loan, Barnes changed his mind at the last moment and on 24 July 2018, Barnes signed a new four-year contract with Leicester and joined newly relegated Championship club West Bromwich Albion on a season long loan. He scored a spectacular goal on his league debut during a 2–1 home defeat against Bolton Wanderers on 4 August 2018.

During his spell at Albion, Barnes scored nine goals and made seven assists in 26 Championship matches.

Return to Leicester City
On 11 January 2019, Barnes was recalled by Leicester with immediate effect. He scored his first goal for Leicester on 20 April in a 2–2 draw with West Ham United. In June he signed a new five-year contract.

On 24 August 2019, Barnes scored a half-volley against Sheffield United to give Leicester City their first win of the 2019–20 season. The goal was later voted as Premier League Goal of the Month and Leicester City's Goal of the Season. He ended his first full season as a first team player with six goals and eight assists and was named the club's Young Player of the Season.

Barnes' form on the left wing helped Leicester to achieve consecutive fifth place finishes in both the 2019–20 and 2020–21 Premier League seasons. However, an injury sustained in a 3–1 loss to Arsenal on 28 February 2021 prevented him from appearing in the later rounds of the 2020–21 FA Cup, which Leicester won by beating Chelsea 1–0 at Wembley Stadium in the final on 15 May.

On 19 August 2021, Barnes signed a new four-year contract at Leicester City, keeping him at the club until 2025. He also changed his squad number from 15 to 7.

He started the 2021–22 season by playing 78 minutes in Leicester's 1–0 win over Manchester City in the 2021 FA Community Shield.

During the 2022–23 season, Barnes scored 13 goals in 34 Premier League appearances. Despite his strong personal performance, Leicester were relegated to the Championship.

Newcastle United
On 23 July 2023, Barnes signed for Premier League club Newcastle United on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £38 million. On 12 August, he recorded his first goal and assist on his debut in a 5–1 win over Aston Villa at St James' Park. On 24 September, Barnes was substituted in the 12th minute of an 8–0 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane with an injury which kept him out of the Newcastle first team until 3 February 2024, when he appeared as a substitute in a 4–4 draw with Luton Town, scoring the team's equalising goal.

International career
Barnes was called up for the England national under-20 team for the 2017 Toulon Tournament, in a squad that was made up of players from a number of age groups, with another under-20 team also playing at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his debut on 29 May 2017, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Angola in England's opening group match. He made his first start in England's next match on 1 June, in which he scored twice in a 7–1 win over Cuba. On 10 June, Barnes scored his penalty kick in a penalty shoot-out in the final against the Ivory Coast, which England won 5–3 after a 1–1 draw. He finished the tournament as joint top scorer, along with teammate George Hirst and Angola's Chico Banza, with four goals. Barnes played five of England's seven matches in the 2017–18 Under 20 Elite League, which the team finished as runners-up. He finished his under-20 career with 10 appearances, which were earned between 2017 and 2018, and six goals.

Barnes received his first call-up for the England under-21s in May 2018 for the 2018 Toulon Tournament, although he was forced to withdraw from the squad through injury. He made his debut for the under-21s on 16 October when starting England's 2–0 away win over Scotland in 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification. He was named in England's squad for the 2019 European Under-21 Championship in May 2019, and made one appearance at the tournament, in which England were eliminated at the group stage. Between 2018 and 2019, Barnes made four appearances for the under-21s.

Barnes was called up to the England senior team for the first time in October 2020, for a friendly against Wales and 2020–21 UEFA Nations League matches against Belgium and Denmark. He made his debut on 8 October in the match against Wales, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute in a 3–0 victory at Wembley Stadium.

Honours
Leicester City


 * FA Community Shield: 2021

England U20
 * Toulon Tournament: 2017

Individual
 * Toulon Tournament Best XI: 2017
 * Leicester City Development Squad Player of the Year: 2016–17
 * Milton Keynes Dons Young Player of the Year: 2016–17
 * Premier League Goal of the Month: August 2019