Eric Bailly facts for kids
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Bailly playing for Beşiktaş in 2023
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eric Bertrand Bailly | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 April 1994 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bingerville, Ivory Coast | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Espanyol | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Espanyol B | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Espanyol | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Villarreal | 35 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2023 | Manchester United | 70 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Marseille (loan) | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | Beşiktaş | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Villarreal | 22 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Ivory Coast Olympic | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2015– | Ivory Coast | 50 | (2) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:52, 26 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:12, 15 October 2024 (UTC) |
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Eric Bertrand Bailly (born on April 12, 1994) is a professional footballer from Ivory Coast. He plays for the Ivory Coast national team. Eric mainly plays as a centre-back, which is a defender who helps protect the goal. He can also play as a right-back.
Bailly started his career in Spain with Espanyol. Later, he moved to Villarreal. After two seasons there, he joined Manchester United in June 2016. He played over 100 games for Manchester United. He also spent some time on loan at Marseille.
Eric Bailly first played for his country, Ivory Coast, in 2015. He helped them win the Africa Cup of Nations that same year. He also played in two more African tournaments and the 2020 Olympics.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Espanyol
Eric Bailly was born in Bingerville, Ivory Coast. He joined the youth team of Espanyol in Spain in December 2011 when he was 17. A scout from Espanyol saw him play in a youth tournament in Burkina Faso.
He got his work permit in October 2012. He started playing for Espanyol's reserve team, Espanyol B, in the 2013–14 season. This league is a lower division in Spanish football.
On October 5, 2014, Bailly played his first game for the main Espanyol team. This was also his first game in La Liga, Spain's top football league. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 win against Real Sociedad. Soon after, he became a full member of the main squad.
Moving to Villarreal
On January 29, 2015, Bailly signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Villarreal. This is another team in La Liga. Villarreal paid about €5.7 million for him. He was brought in to replace another player who moved to Arsenal.
He played his first game for Villarreal on February 22, starting in a 1–0 win against Eibar. On March 19, he played his first UEFA Europa League game. He was sent off (given a red card) in a 2–1 loss against Sevilla.
On October 18, 2015, Bailly was sent off again in a game against Celta Vigo. Villarreal lost that game 2–1. He played seven games as Villarreal reached the semi-finals of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League. On October 22, he scored his first goal ever in a 4–0 home win against Dinamo Minsk. This was his only goal for Villarreal.
Time at Manchester United
First Season and Europa League Win
On June 8, 2016, Eric Bailly joined Premier League club Manchester United. The transfer fee was reported to be £30 million. He signed a four-year contract. He was the first player signed by the new manager, José Mourinho.
He played his first official game for Manchester United on August 7. They won 2–1 against Leicester City at Wembley to win the 2016 FA Community Shield. He was named the best player of the match. A week later, he was again named best player in his Premier League debut. Manchester United won that game 3–1 against Bournemouth.
He was voted Manchester United's Player of the Month for August 2016. He said that his awards came from hard work. On October 23, 2016, Bailly had to leave a game early. He got a serious knee injury during a 4–0 loss to Chelsea. He played 11 games as Manchester United won the Europa League. He was also chosen for the Europa League Squad of the Season.
2017–18 Season
On August 19, 2017, Bailly scored his first league goal for Manchester United. It was his only goal for the club. He scored in a 4–0 win against Swansea City.
On November 8, 2017, Bailly got an ankle injury. He was out of action for about 100 days. He returned on February 17, 2018, as a substitute in an FA Cup game. Manchester United won 2–0 against Huddersfield. He played a total of 18 games that season and scored one goal.
Injuries and Contract Extensions
Bailly continued to have injury problems in the 2018–19 season. He only played in 18 games in total, with 12 in the Premier League. On December 30, 2018, he was sent off in a 4–1 win against AFC Bournemouth. His manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, was not happy with the foul.
In July 2019, Bailly was out for another four months. He injured his knee in a friendly game against Tottenham Hotspur in China. On January 10, 2020, he played for Manchester United's under-23 team to return from injury. On January 17, 2020, Bailly signed a new contract with United until the end of the 2021–22 season. He played his first Premier League game of the season on February 17, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win against Chelsea.
He played his 100th game for Manchester United in a 1–1 draw against AC Milan in the Europa League. On April 26, 2021, he signed another contract until 2024. On September 23, 2021, Bailly played his first game of the 2021–22 season. It was an EFL Cup game against West Ham United, which Manchester United lost 1–0.
Loan to Marseille
On August 24, 2022, Bailly joined Ligue 1 club Marseille on loan for the 2022–23 season. He played his first game for Marseille as a substitute in a 3–0 win against Nice on August 28.
On January 7, 2023, in a Coupe de France match, Bailly was sent off. He made a dangerous high tackle that sent an opposing player to the hospital. On January 19, he was banned for seven matches by the French Football Federation. Bailly played 17 games for Marseille during the 2022–23 Ligue 1 season.
Playing for Beşiktaş
On September 4, 2023, Süper Lig club Beşiktaş in Turkey announced they had signed Bailly. He reportedly signed a one-year contract.
On December 11, 2023, Beşiktaş announced that Bailly was removed from the squad. This was due to poor performance and not fitting in with the team. On December 29, 2023, his contract with Beşiktaş was ended.
Returning to Villarreal
On December 30, 2023, Bailly returned to Villarreal. He signed a contract to play for them until June 30, 2025.
International Career
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On December 29, 2014, Eric Bailly was chosen for the Ivory Coast squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. He played his first game for his country on January 11, 2015, in a friendly match against Nigeria. He played in all six games during the tournament, and his team won the championship. He was also part of the team for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. He played all three matches, but his team did not get past the group stage.
On October 12, 2018, Bailly scored his first goal for Ivory Coast. It was in a 4–0 win against the Central African Republic. This was a qualifying game for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. The following April, he got a knee injury. This meant he could not play in the main tournament in Egypt.
On July 3, 2021, Bailly was chosen for the Ivory Coast Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He was one of the older players allowed to join the under-23 team. Bailly played his first Olympic game on July 22, in a 2–1 win against Saudi Arabia. He played four games in the tournament and scored one goal. This goal was in a quarter-final game they lost against Spain.
At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, held in early 2022, Bailly got a head injury. This happened at the end of a 2–2 draw with Sierra Leone. Because of this, he missed the next game against Algeria. He wore a special head protector in the next match against Egypt. The game ended 0–0, and went to a penalty shootout. Bailly was the only player to miss his penalty, and his team lost.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Espanyol B | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 20 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15 | Segunda División B | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| Espanyol | 2014–15 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Villarreal | 2014–15 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | — | 35 | 1 | |||
| Total | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 | ||
| Manchester United | 2016–17 | Premier League | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 70 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 113 | 1 | ||
| Marseille (loan) | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| Beşiktaş | 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Villarreal | 2023–24 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 175 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 242 | 2 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 2015 | 12 | 0 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | 2 | |
- Ivory Coast score listed first, score column indicates score after each Bailly goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 October 2018 | Stade Bouaké, Bouaké, Ivory Coast | 32 |  Central African Republic |
2–0 | 4–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 23 March 2019 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 34 |  Rwanda |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Awards and Achievements
Manchester United
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2016
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17; runner-up: 2020–21
- FA Cup runner-up: 2017–18
Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2015
Individual Awards
- CAF Team of the Year: 2016, 2017, 2018
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016–17
- IFFHS CAF Men's Team of the Decade 2011–2020
See also
In Spanish: Eric Bailly para niños
