Baines Ready For Action

August 5, 2012

Leighton Baines says he has worked hard throughout the summer to help Everton get a good start to the season.

Baines, along with Everton colleague Phil Jagielka returned to training after an extended break having been away with England at Euro 2012 but with a new season approaching Baines was back in the gym earlier than anticiapted.

Speaking to evertontv Baines said, ”When your football has continued on past the end of the season, it’s important that you get at least three or four weeks where you can rest and switch off, both physically and mentally. Then you come back ready to go.

“I only took a week off to be honest. I figured it wouldn’t be that long before I was back so I might as well stay in decent shape.

“You do that in the hope of avoiding injury more than anything. You get put through your paces when you come back in pre-season and there’s a lot of stress put on your body. If you let yourself go too far, that’s where you’re going to get niggles and start missing important sessions.

“If you keep yourself up to scratch physically, you can get the full benefit when you start the season.”

Despite being away with England, Baines and Jagielka found themselves as unused substitutes, which meant extra training for the duo.

“Once the games started, the ones that played didn’t train,” explained Baines.

“But the rest of the squad – you sit around and do all the eating before the game and then you haven’t played, so you have to work it off and then continue training to keep your levels up.”

Baines was also grateful to have his Everton team with him, ”Jags is a good running partner for me. We both have slightly different strengths when it comes to types of running, so there’ll be times where I pull him along a bit and others where I’m trying to hang onto him.

“It’s a good partnership for both of us.”

Baines and Jagileka could both make there first pre season appearance on Sunday as Everton take on Blackpool.