Biography
Who is Leighton Baines?
Early life
Leighton Baines was born in Kirkby, United Kingdom, on December 11, 1984. He grew up in the area and joined the Everton youth system as a young player before eventually moving on to Wigan Athletic as a teenager.
He developed his football skills through the youth ranks at Wigan Athletic, where he would eventually break into the professional squad and launch his senior club career.
Club career
Leighton made his senior debut for Wigan Athletic in 2002 at the age of 17. He was a member of the team that won the Second Division and later helped Wigan earn promotion to the Premier League in the 2004 to 2005 campaign. While at Wigan, he also started in the 2006 League Cup final against Manchester United.
In July 2007, Leighton transferred to Everton for an initial fee of five million pounds. During his time at Everton, he established himself as a reliable left-back, helping the team reach the 2009 FA Cup final. He scored numerous goals for the club, including multiple successful penalties and direct free kicks, and became the first defender to reach fifty Premier League assists.
International career
Leighton represented England at various international levels. He made his debut for the England under-21 team in September 2004 and went on to make sixteen appearances for the youth side, scoring one goal during a European Championship play-off against Germany.
He received his first call-up to the senior England squad in March 2009 and made his full international debut in a friendly against Egypt at Wembley Stadium in March 2010. He later played in qualifying matches for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Coaching career
Following his retirement from playing in July 2020, Leighton transitioned directly into coaching roles within football. He took on responsibilities at Everton, serving as the manager of their under-18 team and working as a professional development coach for the club Academy.
He continued to progress through the coaching ranks at Everton, contributing as an interim manager before stepping up to join the first-team coaching staff.
Birthday and age
Leighton Baines was born on December 11, 1984, which makes Leighton 41 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Leighton shares the date with 55 other famous people.
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