Max Barry lifts the lid on why he’s joined Cove Rangers and his Peterhead exit

Max Barry is targeting success with his new club Cove Rangers and has revealed he was frozen out at the end of his time with Peterhead.

The midfielder has swapped Balmoor for the Balmoral Stadium and has agreed a two-year deal with Cove upon the expiry of his contract with the Blue Toon this summer.

Cove finished seventh in League One last season, two places below Peterhead, but Barry believes they can make strides up the table next term.

The 24-year-old will be staying part-time with Cove and turned down full-time opportunities to sign for the Aberdeen outfit.

Barry said: “Going to Cove is a new challenge for me. It’s close to home and I liked the picture the manager (Paul Hartley) outlined of what he wants to do.

“I’m looking forward to working under the manager and learning from the experience he’s got as a player and a coach.

“Cove want to try to push on again and get back to the top of League One and try to push to get into the Championship and that appealed to me.

“I want to keep progressing as much as I can and I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ve had opportunities to go full-time, but it’s about choosing the right path to go down and finding what is right for you.

“For me right now staying part-time is the best route to take.”

Reflections on Peterhead stint

Barry joined Peterhead from Buckie Thistle in the summer of 2024 and helped them win League Two during his first season before they Buchan club finished fifth in League One in his second season.

However, he wasn’t included in the Blue Toon squad by co-managers Ryan Strachan and Jordon Brown for the final six games of the 2025-26 campaign after turning down a new contract.

Barry added: “The two years I had at Peterhead were really good.

“Winning League Two in the first season was a good achievement and then in the second season I think we did well as a newly-promoted side in League One.

“When I told the managers I wasn’t going to sign the new deal I’d been offered, I was told not to come to games or to training.

“I didn’t expect that to happen, but I can also see it from their perspective about having a player involved that isn’t going to be there next season.

“However, players come and go every season in football.

“It would have been good to be involved right up until the end of the season, but it’s done now and I can’t change it.

“From my perspective I’ve got no hard feelings. I would have liked to finish the season, but they manage the team and choose who is involved so I had to accept the decision.

“It was a tough decision for me to leave Peterhead, but I wanted a new challenge and I’m looking forward to trying to hit the ground running with Cove.”

[Source: Press and Journal]