Coach Leighton Baines, who was known as a top left-back in the Premier League when he was active, looked at Korean prospects positively. He visited Korea with the Everton Under-17 team for the "K League International Youth Cup Incheon 2024" competition.메이저사이트

Baines watched the showdown between the Busan I'Park U-17 and Espanyol U-17 teams in the final of the "K League International Youth Cup Incheon 2024 (Youth Cup)" held at the main stadium of Incheon Munhak Stadium at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Espanyol, which showed strong offense, beat Busan 3-0 to win the match.

A welcome face came to the stadium. Baines, who had previously played well for Everton and England, became the leader and watched matches with Everton youth team players. Baines currently coaches the Everton Under-18 team, which has come a long way with manager Scott Peler to support the Under-17 team participating in the Youth Cup.

Speaking to reporters at the stadium, Baines said, "The competition is well organized. I am happy and grateful that I was able to meet and play with various people through the competition." Everton, which belonged to Group B with Espanyol, Jeonbuk Hyundai, FC Seoul, Bupyeong High School, and Shandong Taishan, unfortunately failed to reach the final, finishing fifth in the group.

When he was an active player, Baines maintained excellent performance for a long time without any injuries. He played a total of 579 matches, scoring 43 goals and 64 assists. With his excellent left-footed capability, he became the first player to reach 50 assists in the Premier League. He was also named the PFA Team of the Year during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.

Coach Baines, who had a successful career, gave advice to young players. "There is no other way but to train hard and play passionately. You have to play with dedication, and you have to be dedicated not only to yourself but also to your team," he said. "You have to go through those things quickly because you can grow through many experiences and mistakes. It is important to work hard before you become a professional player."

Coach Baines, who turned into a coach after retiring from active duty in 2020, expressed his values for fostering Korean players and evaluated them. "I hope that Korean players will grow by gaining diverse experiences in various places," he said. "[Korean teams] did well strategically, and there were many players who were smarter than I thought. I don't remember a specific player, but I played diligently."

In the meantime, the Youth Cup was completed in great success with many favorable reviews. Not only Baines but also several leaders including Espanyol Marc Salabader and Busan coach Choi Kwang-hee said in unison, "It helped me a lot. If possible, I would like to participate next year and have a good experience."