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) | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| Northern Ireland U18 | 4 | (0) | |
| 2002–2003 | Northern Ireland U21 | 6 | (1) |
| 2003–2016 | Northern Ireland | 79 | (0) |
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Christopher Patrick Baird (born on 25 February 1982) is a former professional footballer from Northern Ireland. He played as a defender or midfielder. Chris was known for being able to play in many different positions on the field. He played for clubs like Southampton, Fulham, and Derby County. He also proudly represented the Northern Ireland national football team from 2003 to 2016.
Contents
Chris Baird's Football Journey
Starting Out: Southampton Years
Chris Baird began his football journey at a club in Northern Ireland called Ballymena United. In 1998, he moved to Southampton to join their youth academy. He worked hard and signed his first professional contract with Southampton in 2001.
Chris made his first team debut for Southampton in March 2003. It was a match against Aston Villa. Soon after, he played in the 2003 FA Cup final against Arsenal. Even though Southampton lost, Chris was chosen as the best player for his team in that game.
Loan Spells and Learning
In the 2003–04 season, Chris found it tough to get regular games at Southampton. So, he went on loan to Walsall for a month. He played well there and even helped set up a goal. His time at Walsall helped him get more experience.
After Walsall, Chris went on another loan, this time to Watford in 2004. He played eight games for Watford before returning to Southampton. These loan spells helped him gain valuable playing time.
Chris didn't play much for Southampton in the 2004–05 season. The team was later relegated from the Premier League. However, in the 2005–06 season, he started playing more regularly. He even signed a new three-year contract with the club.
In the 2006–07 season, Chris became a key player for Southampton. He often played as a central defender. He scored his first professional goal in November 2006 against Luton Town. He scored two more goals that season. At the end of the season, Chris was voted the "Saints Player of the Season" by the fans. This was a big achievement for him.
Life at Fulham
In July 2007, Chris Baird moved to Fulham, a team in the Premier League. He joined them for about £3 million. He made his debut for Fulham in the first game of the season against Arsenal.
In his first season at Fulham, Chris faced some challenges with injuries and getting into the main team. But he kept working hard. For the 2009–10 season, he changed his shirt number to 6. His manager, Roy Hodgson, realized Chris could play in many different positions. He played as a right-back and even in central midfield. This made him a very important player for Fulham. He even started in the 2010 UEFA Europa League final against Atlético Madrid.
In the 2010–11 season, Chris signed a new contract with Fulham. He scored his first two goals for the club in December 2010 against Stoke City. Both were powerful shots from far away, earning him the fun nickname "Bairdinho" from the fans!
The 2011–12 season was a bit tougher for Chris to get regular starts. But his ability to play in different positions meant he was almost always on the bench, ready to come on. He could fill in at central midfield, right-back, or even centre-back.
In the 2012–13 season, Chris became a regular in central midfield again. He scored two goals in October 2012, one against Aston Villa and another against Reading. At the end of the 2012–13 season, Chris was one of the players who left Fulham.
Moving On: Reading, Burnley, West Brom
After leaving Fulham, Chris joined Reading in September 2013. He made his debut the very next day. He played nine games for Reading before his contract ended in January 2014.
In March 2014, Chris signed a short-term deal with Burnley. He made his debut for Burnley two days later, playing as a right-back. He helped Burnley get promoted to the Premier League that season, playing seven games.
Chris returned to the Premier League in July 2014, signing a one-year contract with West Bromwich Albion. He played 19 games for West Brom. He often played as a defensive midfielder towards the end of the season. He was released by the club at the end of the 2014–15 season.
Captaining Derby County
In June 2015, Chris Baird signed a two-year contract with Derby County. When he joined, he was given the number twelve shirt.
Before the 2015–16 season began, Chris was given the captain's armband for Derby County. The new manager, Paul Clement, chose him because of his leadership qualities. Chris said it was a great honor to be the captain.
He played as captain for the first six games of the season. However, he later struggled with injuries and lost his regular spot in the team. The captaincy was then given back to Richard Keogh. Chris played 14 league games for Derby County in his first season.
In February 2016, Chris went back to his old club, Fulham, on loan until the end of the season. He played seven games for Fulham during this loan spell. He was recalled by Derby in May 2016. Chris was released by Derby County at the end of the 2017–18 season.
In February 2019, Chris Baird announced that he was retiring from playing football.
Playing for Northern Ireland
Chris Baird made his first appearance for the Northern Ireland national football team on 3 June 2003, in a match against Italy. From then on, he was a regular player for his country.
He earned his 50th international cap (game) on 25 March 2011. On that day, he was given the honor of being captain for Northern Ireland 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 very exciting moment for him and his country.
On 17 August 2016, Chris Baird announced that he was retiring from playing international football for Northern Ireland. He had played 79 games for his country.
Off the Pitch
Chris Baird is a family man. He became a father on New Year's Day in 2005 when his daughter, Shannon, was born. In May 2006, Chris married his partner, Sarah.
Career Numbers
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 | |
Awards and Achievements
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
