Chris Baird facts for kids
Baird playing for Northern Ireland in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Patrick Baird | ||
| Date of birth | 25 February 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Rasharkin, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender, midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1998 | Ballymena United | ||
| 1998–2001 | Southampton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2007 | Southampton | 68 | (3) |
| 2003 | → Walsall (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Watford (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2007–2013 | Fulham | 127 | (4) |
| 2013–2014 | Reading | 9 | (0) |
| 2014 | Burnley | 7 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | West Bromwich Albion | 19 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Derby County | 69 | (0) |
| 2016 | → Fulham (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| Total | 328 | (7) | |
| International career | |||
| Northern Ireland U18 | 4 | (0) | |
| 2002–2003 | Northern Ireland U21 | 6 | (1) |
| 2003–2016 | Northern Ireland | 79 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Chris Baird (born 25 February 1982) is a former professional footballer from Northern Ireland. He played for many different clubs, including Southampton, Fulham, and Derby County. Chris was a very versatile player, meaning he could play in many positions on the field. He often played as a right-back (on the right side of defense) or a centre-half (in the middle of defense). He also played as a left-back, defensive midfielder, and central midfielder. Chris also proudly represented the Northern Ireland national football team from 2003 to 2016. He retired from playing football in February 2019.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Southampton
Chris Baird began his football journey at Ballymena United in Northern Ireland. In 1998, he moved to Southampton and joined their youth academy. He worked his way up and signed his first professional contract with the club in 2001.
Chris made his first team debut for Southampton on 22 March 2003. It was a home game against Aston Villa, which ended in a 2–2 draw. A week later, he started for Southampton in the 2003 FA Cup final against Arsenal. Even though Southampton lost 1–0, Chris was named the "Man of the Match" for his great performance.
Loan Spells and Return to Southampton
During the 2003–04 season, Chris found it hard to get regular playing time at Southampton. So, he was loaned out to Walsall for a month. He played well there, even getting an assist in one game. His loan was extended, but he was sent off in his last game for Walsall.
After returning to Southampton, he was loaned out again, this time to Watford. He played eight games for Watford before coming back to Southampton at the end of the season. Chris didn't play much for Southampton in the 2004–05 season. The club was then relegated from the Premier League.
In the 2005–06 season, Chris started to get more chances to play for Southampton. He made 16 league appearances. He then signed a new three-year contract with the club.
Becoming a Key Player at Southampton
In the 2006–07 season, Chris became a very important player for Southampton. He often played as a centre-half. On 25 November 2006, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 win against Luton Town. He scored two more goals that season. Chris played 44 games and was named the "Saints Player of the Season" at the end of the year.
After this successful season, other clubs became interested in Chris. Fulham made an offer to sign him, which Southampton first rejected. Chris then asked to leave the club, and eventually, a deal was agreed.
Time at Fulham
On 12 July 2007, Chris Baird joined Premier League club Fulham for £3.025 million. He made his debut for Fulham in the first game of the season against Arsenal.
In his first season, Chris faced some injuries and didn't play as much as he hoped. However, in the 2009–10 season, he became a very important player for Fulham. His manager, Roy Hodgson, used Chris's ability to play in many different positions. He played as a right-back and also as a central midfielder. Chris even started in the 2010 UEFA Europa League final against Atlético Madrid. He played 32 games that season.
In the 2010–11 season, Chris signed a new contract with Fulham. On 28 December 2010, he scored his first two goals for Fulham in a 2–0 win against Stoke City. These goals were long-range shots and were voted as the second-best goals of the season by Fulham fans. He played 29 games that season.
The 2011–12 season was a bit tougher for Chris to get regular starts. However, his ability to play in different positions meant he was almost always on the bench and ready to come on. He made 19 appearances that season.
In the 2012–13 season, Chris became a regular central midfielder again. He scored two goals in October 2012, one against Aston Villa and another against Reading. At the end of the season, Chris was one of several players released by Fulham.
Moving to Reading and Burnley
After leaving Fulham, Chris signed for Reading on 20 September 2013. He made his debut the very next day in a 3–1 win against Derby. He played 9 games for Reading before his contract ended in January 2014.
On 20 March 2014, Chris joined Burnley on a short-term deal. He made his debut two days later in a 3–0 win against Charlton Athletic. Chris played a small but important role in helping Burnley get promoted to the Premier League that season, making 7 appearances.
Playing for West Bromwich Albion
Chris returned to the Premier League on 7 July 2014, signing a one-year contract with West Bromwich Albion. He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–2 draw against Sunderland. Chris played 19 league games for West Brom, sometimes as a left-back and sometimes as a defensive midfielder. He was released by the club at the end of the 2014–15 season.
Final Years at Derby County
In June 2015, Chris Baird signed a two-year contract with Derby County. He was even given the captain's armband for the start of the 2015–16 season. He made his Derby County debut in a 0–0 draw against Bolton Wanderers.
However, Chris struggled with injuries and lost his regular starting spot. He played 14 league games for Derby in his first season. In February 2016, he rejoined his former club Fulham on loan until the end of the season. He played 7 games for Fulham during this loan spell.
Chris was recalled by Derby in May 2016 and stayed with them until the end of the 2017–18 season, when he was released. In February 2019, Chris Baird officially announced his retirement from professional football.
International Career
Chris Baird made his debut for the Northern Ireland national football team on 3 June 2003, in a match against Italy. He became a regular player for his country.
On 25 March 2011, Chris earned his 50th international cap for Northern Ireland and was given the honor of being captain for the game against Serbia. He had also been captain once before, in August 2007.
In May 2016, Chris was chosen to be part of the Northern Ireland squad for the UEFA Euro 2016 competition. This was a big moment for him and his country. On 17 August 2016, Chris announced his retirement from international football.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Southampton | 2002–03 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2005–06 | Championship | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07 | Championship | 44 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 51 | 3 | ||
| Total | 68 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 79 | 3 | ||
| Walsall (loan) | 2003–04 | First Division | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Watford (loan) | 2003–04 | First Division | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Fulham | 2007–08 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | — | 52 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 2 | |||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 2 | |||
| Total | 127 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 0 | — | 165 | 4 | |||
| Reading | 2013–14 | Championship | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Burnley | 2013–14 | Championship | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2014–15 | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 | ||
| Derby County | 2015–16 | Championship | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Fulham (loan) | 2015–16 | Championship | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 269 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 325 | 7 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 2003 | 5 | 0 |
| 2004 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 79 | 0 | |
Honours
Southampton
- FA Cup finalist: 2003
- Fans' Player of the Season: 2006–07
Fulham
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2010
Burnley
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Chris Baird para niños
