The Shirt With: Everton Left Back Leighton Baines
29th November 2018
Approaching 500 senior appearances, England international spells out what it means to wear the Blues shirt
- Having started his youth career at The Blues before moving to Wigan Athletic FC where he made 145 appearances in five seasons (2002 to 2007), Baines returned to Goodison Park and made the Everton number 3 shirt his own to this day
- Speaking to The Shirt, an exclusive series on SportPesa online and social platforms, it is not difficult to see why Baines remains as a cornerstone of his side’s ambitions, with his passion to represent Everton still burning as bright as it did in 2007 when he returned to the club
- Outside his sparkling career in football, Baines also shares three children with his wife Rachel
NAIROBI, Kenya- As his club’s longest serving left back, vice-captain and an England international with 30 caps one can forgive Leighton Baines for feeling a bit cocky about his achievements at English Premier League (EPL) outfit, Everton FC.
In reality however, he is a humble and selfless servant for his club and a model example for young footballers aiming at scaling to the top of the game at the most-followed league in the world.
Having started his youth career at The Blues before moving to Wigan Athletic FC where he made 145 appearances in five seasons (2002 to 2007), Baines returned to Goodison Park and made the Everton number 3 shirt his own to this day.
Despite his fruitful career at the top of English football winding down to a close, the defender, 33, is still integral to manager Marco Silva’s plans of establishing Everton as a force in England and beyond.
Speaking to The Shirt, an exclusive series on SportPesa online and social platforms, it is not difficult to see why Baines remains as a cornerstone of his side’s ambitions, with his passion to represent Everton still burning as bright as it did in 2007 when he returned to the club.
“Being a local lad does make it mean that little bit more to walk out as an Everton player, wearing the blue shirts, more so brings the fans closest to the players.
“It’s almost a ritual and an important part of going to the game for a lot of people,” Baines who was born and raised in Kirkby, Merseyside, a short distance from Goodison outlined what the Everton shirt means to him.
However, he is also aware his time bombing forward or keeping opposing wingers on the Everton left-flank quiet is reducing at time goes by having made four appearances in 13 EPL games this term.
“Now so much further down the line and in the latter stages of your career you get renewed appreciation again for every opportunity you get to put the shirt on and go out to play for this club.
Impressive career
“Hopefully, I will get a few more opportunities to do that,” the defender emphasised.
Approaching 500 senior appearances for the Latics and Everton spanning 13 years, Baines has notched an impressive career record that identifies him as a Blues’ great.
By scoring from the spot in a 3–2 home win over Watford on November 5 2017; Baines became Everton's leading EPL penalty scorer and he holds the competition’s record assists for a defender.
He has netted 32 goals, claimed 53 assists and won 160 games in 410 appearances that have produced 113 clean sheets in the EPL, a fine record for a man whose core duty is to stop opposing forwards.
Baines was called up to the senior England squad for the first time in 2009 and made his full international debut in a friendly against Egypt at Wembley Stadium on March 3 March 2010, playing the full 90 minutes of a 3-1 win.
In September 2012, the left back scored his first international goal against Moldova in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match, a deflected free kick that was the last of England's goals in a 5-0 thumping.
Baines featured in his country’s first two matches in the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Italy and Uruguay that both ended in 1-2 defeats as the Three Lions crashed out in the first round of the competition for the first time since 1958.
The defender who returned to Everton in a 6 million pound deal from Wigan has played for the Blues in the UEFA Cup and its successor, UEFA Europa League.
“When I first came back to the club and seen the first couple of kids put the shirt on with your name on the back is almost a little bit of disbelief that you have arrived at that point
“We’ve all been there, we’ve all grown up and supported our teams and idolised our players. It’s nice,” the player who rose to be the vice-captain of his team emphasised.
Baines scored the winner for Everton in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg against Slovakian side Ruzomberok on July 27, 2017 as the club as they advanced to the group stages of the second-tier continental tournament.
Outside his sparkling career in football, Baines also shares three children with his wife Rachel.
“I have an identity within football. When I’m outside, I feel different; I don’t always feel like a footballer and confine myself to that. Just being a better person and finding more about myself.
“I’m a husband and a father and is the most important thing for me.”
LEIGHTON BAINES: THE STATS
Assists: 53
Passes: 14,475
Passes per match: 35.30
Big chances created: 62
Crosses: 2,302
Cross accuracy: 26 per cent
Through balls: 20
Accurate long balls: 782
Goals: 32
Headed goals: 0
Goals with right foot: 1
Goals with left foot: 31
Hit woodwork: 8