Baines: Why I stayed at Everton but gutted for Moyes

Leighton Baines: Why I stayed at Everton but feel 'gutted' for David Moyes after Manchester United sack

Everton left-back Leighton Baines earned universal praise for not agitating for a move to Manchester United last summer but still "gutted" when David Moyes was sacked

It is with reluctance that Leighton Baines finds himself cast as the poster boy for those who want reassurance that not all footballers are money grabbing, self-serving egomaniacs.


There is a perception that if the Everton and England left-back was more practised in the art of agitation, he would have been a Manchester United player several years ago, but those old-fashioned values of loyalty, duty and being an all-round good egg kept him on Merseyside.


The halo does not sit comfortably.


Speaking in detail for the first time about United's failed attempt to sign him, Baines says his decision to stay at Everton was more complicated than unquestioningly pledging his future to his boyhood team.

"I sat on the fence and saw how the thing played out," Baines says. "From this end, you might get credit for turning someone down that you probably don't deserve. The whole thing in the summer was letting things unfold. I could have signed a contract at any time in the summer and put it all to bed.

"It was a case of letting the business side of it get conducted, knowing you couldn't lose. The perspective was I could only win from this situation.

"I don't want to keep playing that tune of being humble. You just appreciate where you are. It was stressful because I didn't know which way it was going to play out. You just try to conduct yourself in the proper manner as much as you can. There is always that. That is a factor throughout.

"I had the important conversations myself and didn't have someone in there for me feeding back what was happening. I spoke with the manager, I spoke with the chairman and we had private conversations. They kept me in the loop all along. I just let them deal with it and I wanted to be kept informed. I guess you never know if you're doing the right thing or not but at the time, it's not your decision as a player to make those calls."

Whether Baines accepts applause or not, the fact he never asked for a transfer or issued public ultimatums is an admirable distinction from many of his peers.

Marouane Fellaini handed in a transfer request to ensure he left Everton for Manchester United, and one only had to witness the different exit strategies of Gareth Bale and Luis Suárez – with varying degrees of success. There is another shrug.

"Maybe it was just how I was brought up," says Baines. "If I was playing for a foreign club I may have acted differently but I think there is a different level of respect."

There has been no cause for regret since. What attracted Baines to United was the Champions League, annual title bids and a manager he admired. All have gone, Baines's penalty in David Moyes's final game indicative of how fate conspired against the former Everton coach.

"There are a lot of lads here who were long-serving under him. We all feel the same, we are a bit gutted for him," says Baines. "There are personal relationships there – you don't want to see anyone having a hard time. It's hard to know what to say but we know from working with him that he is a top manager. He has to do what is right for him now whether that's coming back straight away or having a little bit of time. The lads here who worked with him know he is a top manager.

"It's really hard. The important thing is the start. When you go in everyone is sussing each other out and from both sides. If you start well as a player when a new manager comes in the first impressions are positive. It can also work the other way."

While Moyes sank, his successor Roberto Martínez has thrived at Goodison. There is still a top-four chance, albeit slim, heading into Saturday's meeting with Manchester City, although Baines recalls the early months when no one was certain that the Spanish coach's methods would work.

"We started with a few draws and everyone was kind of sitting on the fence, and then we beat Chelsea and went on a bit of a run. That game was massive," Baines says.

"Even if you look back, we nearly conceded a ridiculous goal trying to play out of defence. What if that had of gone in and you lose the game because of it? It was the tipping point. If we had lost maybe people would have started to want what they had before. But we went on a run.

"They are fine lines. Beating Chelsea gave us the lift and made us kick on. We were trying to buy into all the new ideas and concepts but it's the same with everyone. It's a results-based business and until you start getting results, you're not going to buy into it. I guess over there [Manchester United] they never quite got going and, if they had, they would probably have been flying.

"I can only be happy with the way we are going along now and the position we are in, still in with a fighting chance of getting Champions League football. We have our highest Premier League points tally in a season and that under the new manager, for a first season, is extremely positive going. The next step is to see what we can do about strengthening. I'm sure the manager is looking at that."

One of Martínez's plans is to redeploy Baines as a central midfielder, enabling him to follow the journey of Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm from full-back to midfield.

Baines accompanied his manager on a scouting mission when Bayern played United at Old Trafford.

"No pressure!" Baines jokes. "The lads have been talking about it and I've been getting a bit of stick. I'm teacher's pet now. I've never heard of it happening before but it was good to see the game live and for him to show the things that they do and the similarities of what he wants us to do.

"I'll be excited to give it a go. I know it sounds stupid but for a few years we used to play a 'young versus old' game on a Friday and that was my position. Tim Howard was saying the other day, 'I hope you do play there because I called it two years ago'. Steve Round [former Moyes assistant] had mentioned it before so it wasn't out of nowhere but I wouldn't expect to be playing there.

"Roberto is such a contrast to what we had before, the way he wants us to play and the fact he won't compromise on it. He wants you to do what he wants and if he sees it's not really happening, he's not going to go, 'right we will play long'. We could play good stuff before but I think now there is a real tactical meaning to everything.

"There are certain triggers within the system that someone takes up a certain position knowing that another guy is going to see that trigger, and he will go into a different position himself. It is all very specific and thought out and that's the difference."

Victory over City will secure Everton's European place but whatever the outcome the impact on the title race, for Liverpool as much as City, has dominated the pre-match agenda.

Baines says the players are thinking only of winning.

"Loads of people have obviously mentioned that potential scenario [of helping Liverpool] but when the game comes around we will want to win the game, pure and simple," he says.

"You understand the fans' side of the rivalry but you shouldn't judge yourself on others' success or failure. I think Liverpool not winning the league doesn't make us any better."