The Everton fans in the Transfer Tavern have been congratulating their long-term left-back, Leighton Baines, as he was presented with a milestone award for achieving 400 Premier League appearances. The 33-year-old has actually played 403 Premier League games, as his 400th came last month as Manchester City visited Goodison Park. You can read more on Baines’ achievement on the Everton website.
| Leighton Baines has been recognised for reaching 400 @premierleague appearances by being presented with a @CadburyUK’s Milestone Award at USM Finch Farm.
Story https://t.co/L6zYkVRdSt pic.twitter.com/r0rDttXFnq
— Everton (@Everton) 25 April 2018
At the age of 33, you could be forgiven for believing that the Everton full-back is past his best. Baines has been a consistent feature on the left-hand side of Everton’s defensive line for eleven years now and has combined his sweet left-foot, excellent positional awareness and his ability to read the game as he’ll no doubt go down as one of the Premier League’s best ever left-backs.
The former England international has claimed that he wants to use the experience of his last 400 games to build on and that the game is always changing. However, Baines has enjoyed success throughout his whole career after helping Wigan gain Premier league promotion from League One and finishing 10th with the Latics in their first campaign back in the top-flight before he made the switch to Goodison Park.
You can read our local Toffees congratulatory messages for Baines here:
That will give him a Boost
— Grab68 (@Grab68) April 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/GlennRobertso18/status/989099973345202176
Well deserved as Leighton has been the ultimate professional & a great servant to @Everton
— Brian Fowler (@PM_BrianF) 25 April 2018
https://twitter.com/mredwardsdj/status/989128270649143297
What a man
— FIRMY (@firmyblueboy) 25 April 2018
Deserved to win at least an FA Cup. Same goes for Coleman. Shame we're an absolute shambles at the minute.
— Fergus O'Connor (@Feedtheyak22) April 26, 2018
Well done Leighton! Exemplary
— Kelly Paynter (@paynter_kelly) April 26, 2018
