Leighton Baines has explained that there is no reason why he cannot be as good as he was five years ago, and found his time on the sidelines ‘weird’.
In an interview with the Telegraph’s Sam Wallace, the full-back talked about his layoff as well as his new role as Patron of Alder Hey children’s hospital.
Leighton underwent ankle surgery back in August and has yet to feature in a competitive game this season.
As he looks towards his return, possibly at Aston Villa next weekend, he spoke about how hard he has trained to get back to his best. The Englishman explained:
There’s no reason I can’t be as good as I was five years ago. If I am not I can look at myself in the mirror. It won’t be for the want of trying. “If you had seen me train over the last few months you can see I’m keen to work.”
Baines then went on to talk about the current situation he is in, needing to fight his way back into the team as well as having a contract that will run out at the end of next season. Leighton said:
This is a dead interesting time for me. It’s new. I have never been through anything like it before. I’m older, I’m going to be 31. I find it all quite exciting. Even the question of not having three years on a contract. It’s a dead interesting position. In the past I have been younger, I have been fit and healthy and playing well. I am not in that situation any more. I am older.
Injury permitting, the full-back will be looking to at least feature against Aston Villa and begin to make that left-back spot his own again. After the Villa game, Everton face Bournemouth, Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup, Crystal Palace and Norwich, all important games if the club wants to compete at the top.
