Our fifth instalment of ‘nearly players’ is one that I for one am glad never happened which is left-back.
In 2008, Leighton Baines was one of, if not the best left-back in the Premier League and was subject to a swap deal if the Spurs manager had his wish. After a 1-0 win at White Hart Lane in 08, Baines was approached after the whistle by then manager Harry Redknapp and Joleon Lescott speaking to the LiverpoolEcho recalls the conversation he held with Baines after the game.
“Coming in after the game Bainesy, who I was really close with, we were talking and Harry Redknapp wanted to swap them.”
“He pulled Baines to one side, had a conversation with him, so I asked ‘What was going on there?”
“He said they were interested in doing a swap for Bale.”
“One of the main reasons that didn’t happen was because Bale’s record was so bad and David Moyes didn’t want to swap.”
Bale was rumoured to be offered out to multiple clubs by Harry Redknapp as he never got off to the best of starts at Tottenham, until 2009/10 when he was moved further up the pitch and became a completely different player.
Baines stayed loyal to Everton and could easily have tried to force a move to Spurs, but also Manchester United whilst Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, later on when David Moyes swapped Merseyside for Manchester but he showed how a true professional should behave and allowed the people in charge do the talking.
Knowing how both players went on, do you think David Moyes made the correct decision?
Take part in our poll below and let us know in the comments why you have voted.
If you was Moyes in 2008, who would you have picked?
Gareth Bale
