Everton are a club that have not been graced with many truly world-class talents in recent years, thus explaining their adversity towards success.
It has been a trying period for the fanbase, for whom Seamus Coleman effectively suggested has no modern-day legends after stating he would not be one until he won a trophy.
The Irish cult hero could not be further from the truth, with his former partner in crime Leighton Baines standing as sparkling proof of such a notion.
Loyalty in the face of transfer interest elsewhere, and quality that surpassed that of his teammates, the 38-year-old full-back enjoyed 13 fine years at Goodison Park before his 2020 retirement.
He was a classy and supremely talented defender, one of which arguably ushered in the recent shift towards offensive full-backs, and still to this day is recognised as one of the Premier League greats.
A recent video circulating on Twitter has only emphasised such a notion more, with the reaction to Classic EFC Matches’ 16-minute compilation showcasing the adoration fans still feel for Baines.
What are Everton fans saying about Leighton Baines?
It is a testament to Evertonians’ love for the defender that so many even watched the entire video, with one fan imploring others to do the same: ‘Anyone who doesn’t know how good this man was needs to watch this’.
After all, another would even boldly claim he was ‘The best left back in the world at one point,’ with another echoing his sentiment: ‘Genuinely one of the best English players ever (defenders at least), deserves more respect!’
Whilst firmly in the conversation for best-ever Premier League full-back, one fan bemoaned his main rival for such a coveted title: ‘Feel sorry for him that he was in the same era as Ashley Cole, absolute joke of a player Baines was’.
With a true ‘wand of a left foot’, as stated by one of the numerous glowing testimonies, it is fair to say that Baines was an innovative presence in English football. After all, arguably the highest praise seems to support an earlier claim, noting: ‘The modern full back before it existed! The greatest #LB3’.
How good was Leighton Baines?
As if that selection of quotes was not enough to outline the undeniable quality Baines possessed, his offensive figures should help to add further support to an argument hardly needing it.
After all, making 420 appearances in the English top flight allowed him to star at the elite level, scoring 32 times and assisting a further 53.
When trawling back through the archives, only former Everton ace David Unsworth scored more goals than him in the Premier League from full-back, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson the only two to overtake him in the assist charts.
His presence around the pinnacle of those metrics, as well as adding a further 113 clean sheets to his portfolio, stand as fine statistical proof to showcase his superiority.
And that is just scratching the surface, omitting his fine defensive prowess, the attacking partnerships he would forge with numerous stars down the left flank, and his clinical nature from a dead ball.
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