Leighton Baines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leighton Baines

Baines playing for Everton in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Leighton John Baines
Date of birth	(1984-12-11) 11 December 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Kirkby, Merseyside, England
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Left-back
Team information
Current team	Everton U18
Youth career
	Everton
	Wigan Athletic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2007	Wigan Athletic	145	(4)
2007–2020	Everton	348	(29)
Total		493	(33)
International career
2004–2007	England U21	16	(1)
2010–2015	England	30	(1)
Managerial career
2025	Everton (caretaker)
Medal record  England UEFA European U-21 Championship Bronze 2007 Netherlands
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Leighton John Baines (born 11 December 1984) is an English football coach and former professional player. He played as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the left side of the field. Today, he is the assistant manager for Premier League club Everton.

Baines began his football journey with Wigan Athletic. He helped them win the Second Division in the 2002–03 season. He also played when they were runners-up in the Championship in 2004–05. Later, he joined Everton in 2007. With Everton, he helped the team reach the 2009 FA Cup final.

He also played for the England under-21 team and the senior England team. Baines was part of the England squads for UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He stopped playing professionally in 2020. After that, he moved into coaching. He worked with Everton's under-18 team and as a coach for their Academy. In January 2025, he was a temporary manager for the first team. Soon after, he became a full-time coach for the first team.

Early Life and Football Start

Leighton Baines was born in Kirkby, England. He started playing football in the Everton youth system. When he was a teenager, he moved to Wigan Athletic to continue his football training.

Playing Career Highlights

Time at Wigan Athletic

Baines made his first professional appearance for Wigan Athletic in 2002. He was only 17 years old. He was part of the team that won the Second Division in the 2002–03 season. He became a regular player when Wigan was promoted to the Premier League in 2004–05. In that season, Baines scored his first goal for the club. It was a long-range shot against Ipswich Town.

Even after helping Wigan get promoted, Baines worried if he was good enough for the Premier League. He signed new contracts with Wigan in 2005. This was despite interest from big clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal. While at Wigan, he played in the 2006 League Cup final, where they lost to Manchester United.

Joining Everton

Baines playing for Everton in 2009

In July 2007, Baines turned down a move to Sunderland. The next month, he joined Everton for an initial fee of £5 million. In his first season, he played 29 games. His playing time increased in his second season. He was voted Everton's Player of the Month twice in a row in 2008–09.

Baines scored his first goal for Everton against Portsmouth in March 2009. This was after 57 games without scoring. In August 2009, he scored a last-minute penalty against his old team, Wigan. A month later, he was the captain for Everton for the first time. This was in a UEFA Europa League match.

In the 2010–11 season, Baines played every minute of Everton's Premier League games. He scored seven goals that season. He won the club's Player of the Season award. His goal against Chelsea from a free kick was voted Everton's Goal of the Season. He also made 11 assists, which means he helped his teammates score. He was the defender with the most assists in the league.

Baines playing for Everton in 2011

Baines scored five goals in the 2011–12 season, with four of them being penalties. He played 99 league games in a row before an injury ended his season early. His great performance earned him a spot in the PFA's Premier League Team of the Year in 2012. He was the first Everton player to get this honor in 22 years.

During the 2012–13 season, Baines created 116 chances for his teammates. This was more than any other player in Europe's top leagues. He was again included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year in 2013. He also won Everton's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards. Manchester United tried to sign him in 2013, but Everton rejected all their offers.

In September, Baines scored two free-kicks in one game against West Ham United. This was a rare achievement for a player. He missed a league game for the first time in 52 matches due to a toe injury in November. In January 2014, Baines signed a new four-year contract with Everton. He became the first Premier League player to score more than 10 penalties without missing any. He scored five goals and assisted four others in the 2013–14 season. This was the most for any defender in the league.

He scored his first goal in European football for Everton in September 2014. It was a penalty in a 4–1 win against Wolfsburg. In October 2014, he missed his first penalty in the Premier League. In January 2015, Baines made his 45th assist in the Premier League. This made him the defender with the most assists in the league's history.

Baines missed the start of the 2015–16 season due to an ankle injury. In January 2017, he scored his 30th Premier League goal. This made him only the third defender to reach this milestone. In April 2017, Baines became the first defender to reach 50 Premier League assists.

In July 2017, Baines scored the winning goal for Everton in a European match against Ružomberok. In November 2017, he scored a penalty against Watford. This made him Everton's top Premier League penalty scorer.

Everton offered him a new one-year contract at the end of the 2018–19 season. In December 2019, Baines scored a fantastic equalizer from 25 yards against Leicester City. This was in an EFL Cup game. The match ended in a draw, and Everton lost on penalties. Baines announced his retirement from playing professional football at the end of that season.

Playing for England

Baines (left, in navy blue) playing for England in 2012

Baines first played for the England under-21s in September 2004. He scored an important goal for the under-21 team against Germany in October 2006. This helped England win 1–0 in a play-off game. He played all four of England's matches in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals. He played 16 times for the under-21 team and scored one goal.

Baines was called up to the senior England squad for the first time in March 2009. He made his full international debut in a friendly game against Egypt in March 2010. He was chosen for a group of 30 players for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, he did not make the final team of 23 players.

He made his first competitive international appearance in June 2011. This was in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland. He helped Ashley Young score England's equalizing goal. Baines was in the squad for UEFA Euro 2012, but he did not play in the tournament.

In September 2012, he scored his first goal for the senior England team. It was against Moldova in a World Cup qualification match. His deflected free kick was the last goal in England's 5–0 win.

In May 2014, Baines' corner kicks led to two of England's goals in a 3–0 win against Peru. He played in England's first two matches in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. England lost both games and was eliminated early from the tournament.

How He Played

Baines was known as a "dependable left back." He was especially good at set-pieces and penalties. When he was younger, Baines played in midfield and attack. He only started playing left back when he joined Wigan. He was also praised for his crossing, his energy, and his ability to stay healthy. He held the record for the most assists as a defender in the Premier League.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing, many people thought Baines would become a coach. In September 2020, just two months after retiring, Baines became a professional development coach at Everton's academy. In December, the under-23s manager said he was very impressed with Baines' coaching. He believed Baines had a big impact on the young players. In October 2021, Baines became the assistant manager of the Everton U18 team. Then, in July 2022, he became the manager of the Everton U18 team.

In January 2025, after the manager Sean Dyche left, Baines became Everton's temporary first-team manager alongside Séamus Coleman. Under their leadership, Everton won a game against Peterborough 2-0. This win helped them move to the next round of the FA Cup.

Personal Life

Leighton Baines grew up in Kirkby, Merseyside. He went to St Joseph The Worker Catholic Primary School and All Saints' RC High School. He started playing football at a local school. He has three children with his wife, Rachel. Baines is good friends with musician Miles Kane. He also enjoys playing the guitar himself.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Baines goal.

List of international goals scored by Leighton Baines

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	7 September 2012	Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova	10	Moldova	5–0	5–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Managerial Statistics

Awards and Achievements

Wigan Athletic

• Football League Championship runner-up: 2004–05
• Football League Cup runner-up: 2005–06

Everton

• FA Cup runner-up: 2008–09

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 2011–12 Premier League, 2012–13 Premier League
• Wigan Athletic Player of the Season: 2006–07
• Everton Player of the Season: 2010–11, 2012–13
• Everton Players' Player of the Season: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13
• Everton Goal of the Season: 2010–11
• Sports Illustrated Premier League Team of the Decade: 2010–2019

See also

In Spanish: Leighton Baines para niños