England Watch - Leighton Baines
Baines is a rising star at the JJB Stadium
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Wednesday, 31, Jan 2007 03:38
Left full-back is not one of the positions that England fans tend to worry about.
Love him or hate him for his antics off the pitch, Ashley Cole has proven time and again that he is a world-class defender and, at the age of 26, the Chelsea man is likely to be a fixture in the England team until at least the 2010 World Cup.
But what of the period after that, and what if Cole is injured by a stray boot, a bad tackle or he trips and falls while carting home his wheelbarrow full of £50 notes on payday? Step forward Leighton Baines.
Name: Leighton Baines
Position: Left-back
Club: Wigan Athletic
Age by South Africa 2010: 25
For a player that has only been on a professional contract for just over four years, Leighton Baines has admirers far and wide.
Still only 22, Baines is a firm fan favourite at the JJB Stadium, having proven his loyalty to Latics fans by signing two contract extensions - once before Wigan won promotion to the top flight and one after he began to catch the eye in their first season up.
Teams with such stature as Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur are known to have made enquiries about Paul Jewell's highly-rated defender but Baines has shown little desire to play for anyone else other than his fellow Liverpudlian.
The 22-year-old is yet to receive a call-up to the full England squad, although this could well be because he has been such an integral player for the under-21s this season.
Baines netted his first ever international goal in October in a European Under-21 Championship play-off game against Germany, securing a 1-0 win for England.
The two-legged tie, which England eventually won 3-0 on aggregate thanks to a Theo Walcott brace in the away game, secured the team's place at the summer tournament and Baines is all but assured of his place in the squad as he has only just turned 22.
With South Africa 2010 in mind, Baines is very much an up-and-coming player. He has commanded a first-team place at Wigan for more than three seasons, one-and-a-half of which have been spent playing in the Premiership.
He is a cultured player already, despite still being in his early 20s, and would arguably be a more than ample replacement for Cole in the event of his absence.
The European Under-21s Championship will be a good test of the youngster's ability to handle the big match atmosphere, although he has already had a taster through a Carling Cup final appearance with his club side last year.
It remains to be seen if Wigan can fend off relegation from the top division this season but two things can be said for certain - if the Latics are successful then it will take a monumental offer to lure the loyal left-back from the JJB Stadium; but if they go down there will no doubt be a long line of clubs queuing up for his signature.
Alistair Potter
England's 2010 World Cup squad
*Players in bold - tickets to South Africa booked already
Goalkeepers
Paul Robinson
Possibles: Chris Kirkland, Ben Foster, Rob Green, Scott Carson
Defenders
John Terry, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher
Possibles: Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Anton Ferdinand, Leighton Baines, Justin Hoyte, Curtis Davies, Wes Brown, Phil Bardsley, Michael Mancienne
Midfielders
Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick
Possibles: Aaron Lennon, Tom Huddlestone, Nigel Reo-Coker, Lee Cattermole, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stewart Downing, Giles Barnes, James Morrison, Kieran Richardson
Forwards
Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen
Possibles: David Nugent, Theo Walcott, James Vaughan, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Darren Bent, Dean Ashton, Cameron Jerome