He had something about him," Coleman said.
Coleman explained his long-standing recruitment philosophy at Accrington Stanley, which focused on acquiring motivated talent from the Merseyside region.
"I've said to nearly every player I've signed, 'If the sum of your ambition is to play for Accrington, you're the wrong person for me.
I want players who are able to see past us. We'll use each other.'
They'll use me as a stepping stone and I'll use them for their natural ability and enthusiasm. I saw that in Anthony straight away."
Coleman added that many young players released from elite academies view lower-division football negatively, whereas Barry fully embraced the opportunity to develop his career.
"Most of these lads have only played under-21 football where nobody is watching and the points don't really matter.
Anthony understood what he was joining and embraced it. He saw it as a chance to trampoline," Coleman said.
>>> World Cup 2026 Round of 32 Fixtures Set as Group Stage Ends
England traveled to Boston ahead of their second Group L fixture against Ghana, where O'Reilly was expected to retain his starting position.
