Indian players exhibit remarkable organizational skills, remarks Everton U-19s coach Leighton Baines

Leighton Baines also mentioned the indispensable qualities required for young players.

Everton inaugurated their Next Generation Cup 2024 campaign with a narrow victory against the Indian side, Muthoot Football Academy. A lone goal from Kean Wren was sufficient to launch the English club’s journey on a triumphant note. With their sights set on reaching the finals this year, they are determined to surpass their previous season’s near-miss, where they fell short to West Ham United in the third-place playoff.

Following the slender win over Muthoot, Everton’s U-19 coach, Leighton Baines, provided a briefing on the match and his perspective on the Next Generation Cup.

An Everton legend, Baines boasts over 348 appearances for the Toffees across 13 illustrious years. He emphasized the importance of such innovative leagues in offering young players a platform to exhibit their skills and gain invaluable exposure by competing with teams from different continents.

On importance of Premier League legends guiding youngsters

Leighton Baines emphasized that it’s not just him but the entire coaching staff who are specialists and top professionals in their field. He said, “We try to give them the platform to keep developing and honing their skills.

“I’ve accumulated enough experiences, which I share with them, but their journeys and trajectories are going to be unique and different. Hopefully, the lessons I learned would try to help them in so many other ways as well.”

Thoughts on Indian players

Leighton Baines lavished praise on the young Indian players, noting, “They are well organized. They come with a clear mindset on how to get success out of the game. They possess a lot of clarity on how to maintain good shape, how to recover the ball back and so many other parameters as well.

“They pose a good and unique challenge to our lads as well, which is essential for the development and growth of any player.” Leighton Baines also claimed that Indian players exhibit remarkable competitiveness, both physically and mentally.

Muthoot FA put up a great fight against Everton FC in the other game 🔥Everton FC 1 (Kean Wren 34’) Muthoot FA 0 👀#IndianFootball #PLNextGen #MuthootFA pic.twitter.com/DwuDEYEodP

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) August 1, 2024

What’s the most important aspect for young kids in this vital growing phase?

The former Everton left-back firmly believes that success cannot be achieved through shortcuts and that only diligent effort will lead to significant progress. Leighton Baines stated, “If players at this tender age do the right things and maintain consistency without fail, they are destined to excel.”

Reflecting on his youth, he noted that he encountered many players who were more talented and skilled than him, but failed to realize their full potential due to inconsistency and distractions. Leighton Baines added, “Your personal behaviour, values, work-ethic, consistency and hunger to learn will propel you far.”

A platform for young players to showcase their skills and compete with the best

Leighton Baines is a strong advocate for such innovative tournaments, noting that they not only benefit the players but also allow the coaching staff the freedom to experiment with different tactics and formations before the regular season begins.

Leighton Baines stated, “This is something different and it gives you a different feel and exposure as well. We have had some tough times recently in pre-season as well and this allows us to get back our momentum. Some players can be brought on and off and effective playing time can also be given to so many quality young players to showcase their talents.”

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