Chris Baird

This article is about the Northern Irish footballer. For the former radio presenter, see BBC Radio Derby.
Chris Baird

Baird playing for Northern Ireland in 2012
Personal information
Full name Christopher Patrick Baird[1]
Date of birth (1982-02-25) 25 February 1982[1]
Place of birth Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2][3]
Playing position Defender / Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Fulham
(on loan from Derby County)
Number 22
Youth career
0000–1998 Ballymena United
1998–2001 Southampton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2001–2007 Southampton 68 (3)
2003 → Walsall (loan) 10 (0)
2004 → Watford (loan) 8 (0)
2007–2013 Fulham 127 (4)
2013–2014 Reading 9 (0)
2014 Burnley 7 (0)
2014–2015 West Bromwich Albion 19 (0)
2015– Derby County 14 (0)
2016– → Fulham (loan) 7 (0)
National team‡
Northern Ireland U18 4 (0)
2002–2003 Northern Ireland U21 6 (1)
2003– Northern Ireland 76 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:30, 21 February 2016 (UTC).
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:55 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Christopher Patrick "Chris" Baird (born 25 February 1982) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Championship side Fulham (on loan from Derby County) and the Northern Ireland national football team. His preferred position is right-back or centre-half, but he has also played as a left-back, defensive midfielder and central midfielder.[4] He has previously played for Southampton, Fulham, Reading, Burnley and West Bromwich Albion.

Club career

Southampton

Baird started his career at Northern Irish club, Ballymena United, before moving to Southampton in 1998.[5]

Baird made his debut for Southampton on 22 March 2003 as a late substitute for David Prutton in a 2–2 draw at home with Aston Villa. His second appearance came in a 6–1 defeat at Arsenal, when he came on after 26 minutes, with Arsenal already 5–0 up.[6]

Baird's first start came on the final day of the 2002–03 League season, in a 1–0 win at Manchester City. A week later, he started for Southampton in the 2003 FA Cup Final, also against Arsenal. Southampton lost the match 1–0, but Baird was voted as the Saints man of the match.[7]

He subsequently made two successful loan spells away from Southampton – two months at Walsall, where he played regularly in the first-team, and a month at Watford.[6]

In the 2003–04 season, Baird made only four league appearances for Southampton, and none at all in the following season. Following Southampton's relegation from the Premiership, Baird re-established himself in the Southampton squad and was singled out for praise by Southampton manager George Burley.[8] He started 16 league games in the 2005–06 season.[6]

In the first game of the 2006–07 season, away to Derby County on 6 August 2006, he was drafted into the centre half position when Claus Lundekvam went off injured in the sixth minute. On 25 November 2006, in his 50th first-team game for Southampton, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Luton Town.[9]

He spent most of the 2006–07 season in central defence, and at the end of the season he was the winner of the Saints Player of the Season award.[10][11]

Fulham

Baird left Southampton on 12 July 2007 to move to Premier League club Fulham for £3.025m.[12] Having initially worn the number 34 shirt, he changed to the number 6 for the 2009–10 season. Although typically a centre-back, and often surplus to requirements behind the rarely injured pairing of Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland, manager Roy Hodgson brought out a versatility in Baird which made him indispensable for long periods at Fulham, where first he filled in very successfully at right-back when John Paintsil was injured, and then due to the injuries to Dickson Etuhu and Danny Murphy he was often used in a central midfield role during the 2009–10 season, returning to right-back when they regained fitness. His success at right-back also earned him a start in the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final against Atlético Madrid ahead of the fit-again Paintsil.

On 14 September 2010 Baird signed a new contract with Fulham, keeping him at Craven Cottage until at least the summer of 2013,[13] and on 28 December 2010 he scored his first and second goals for Fulham against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium in a 2–0 victory. This was voted the second Fulham "Goal of the Season" by the Fulham fans, just behind his team-mate Mousa Dembélé.[14] Both were long-range strikes, earning him the nickname "Bairdinho" amongst Fulham fans.[15]

Baird was charged with abusive and insulting gestures towards a match official during a match against Liverpool on 9 May 2011, after he played the full 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card by referee Lee Mason in the 5–2 defeat at Craven Cottage. He then subsequently missed the last two games of the season against Birmingham City and Arsenal and was replaced by Philippe Senderos.

The 2011–12 season was a less successful one for Baird. With the arrival of Martin Jol as manager he found it difficult to get games, having to rely mostly on injuries to in-form right-back Stephen Kelly, but his proven versatility meant that he was almost always on the bench, and was the go-to substitute for central midfield, right-back and sometimes centre-back as well.

With Kelly falling out of favour in the early part of the 2012–13 season, and injuries to players like Mahamadou Diarra, plus the departures of Danny Murphy, Mousa Dembélé and Dickson Etuhu, Baird has become a regular in central midfield again, alongside Steve Sidwell, and with just those two goals at Stoke to his name for Fulham in 113 games prior to 20 October 2012, he scored in consecutive weeks at the end of October, the first being the winner in the 1–0 defeat of Aston Villa and then scoring a header in a 3–3 draw with Reading on 27 October 2012.

Baird was one of twelve players released by Fulham at the end of the 2012–13 Premier League season.[16] After leaving Fulham, he attracted the interest of Queens Park Rangers, Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers.[17]

Reading

Despite training with QPR for two weeks and receiving a contract offer, Baird signed for Reading on 20 September 2013 on a deal until January 2014.[18][19] He made his debut the next day in a 3–1 win over Derby at Pride Park.[20]

Burnley

After being left without a club since leaving Reading in January, Baird signed for Burnley on 20 March 2014 on a short-term deal until May 2014.[21]

West Bromwich Albion

Baird returned to the Premier League on 7 July 2014, signing a one-year contract at West Bromwich Albion.[22]

Derby County

After leaving West Brom, Baird signed for Derby County in June 2015 on a two-year contract.[23]

Return to Fulham (loan)

On 18 February 2016, Baird re-joined his former club Fulham on loan until the end of the season.[24]

International career

In June 2003, Baird made his Northern Ireland début against Italy in a 2–0 defeat. Since then, he has been a regular member of the national side, despite playing little domestically between 2003 and 2005.[6]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 19 April 2016.[6]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Southampton 2002–03[25] Premier League 301000——40
2003–04[26] Premier League 40000000—40
2004–05[27] Premier League 000000——00
2005–06[28] Championship 1702010——200
2006–07[29] Championship 4432030—2[lower-alpha 1]0513
Total 68350400020793
Walsall (loan) 2003–04[26] First Division 100————100
Watford (loan) 2003–04[26] First Division 80————80
Fulham 2007–08[30] Premier League 1802010——210
2008–09[31] Premier League 1000010——110
2009–10[32] Premier League 320301016[lower-alpha 2]0—520
2010–11[33] Premier League 2922000——312
2011–12[34] Premier League 19010107[lower-alpha 2]0—280
2012–13[35] Premier League 1922010——222
Total 127410050230— 1654
Reading 2013–14[36] Championship 900000——90
Burnley 2013–14[36] Championship 70————70
West Bromwich Albion 2014–15[37] Premier League 1903020——240
Derby County 2015–16[38] Championship 1401010——160
Fulham (loan) 2015–16[38] Championship 70————70
Career total 269719012023020 3257
  1. ↑ Appearances in the Championship play-offs
  2. 1 2 Appearances in the Europa League

International

As of match played 13 November 2015.[39]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Northern Ireland 200350
200470
200570
200660
200750
200880
200960
201040
201180
201250
201330
201450
201570
Total760

Honours

Southampton
Fulham
Burnley

Personal life

In September 2010 his mother's home in Rasharkin was petrol bombed by the loyalists in a sectarian attack.[40][41]

References

  1. 1 2 Hugman, Barry J. (ed) (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8.
  2. ↑ http://www.wba.co.uk/team/player-profile/chris-baird/4
  3. ↑ http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/profile.overview.html/chris-baird
  4. ↑ "Derby County: Chris Baird is praised for his professionalism". The Derby Telegraph. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Baird signs new Fulham contract". BBC News. 14 September 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chris Baird career statistics". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "FA Cup final player ratings". news.bbc.co.uk. 17 May 2003. Retrieved 10 November 2006.
  8. ↑ "Baird: He’s been our best player this term". Daily Echo. 27 November 2006. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "Baird off the mark". saintsfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  10. ↑ Leitch, Adam (2 June 2007). "Hands off Baird warns Burley". Daily Echo. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  11. ↑ Mole, Giles (12 July 2007). "Chris Baird completes Fulham move". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Fulham complete capture of Baird". BBC Sport. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 12 July 2007.
  13. ↑ "Baird Signs New Deal". Fulham FC. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "2010/11 Goal of the Season". Fulham Official Website. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "We've got Bairdinho". Fulham Official Website. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  16. ↑ "Summer transfer window: Ins and Outs". Premier League. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  17. ↑ Jones, Simon (18 August 2013). "Bolton look to beat Championship rivals QPR and Blackpool to former Fulham defender Baird". Daily Mail. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  18. ↑ McIntyre, David (20 September 2013). "Baird snubs QPR and agrees Reading move". West London Sport. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  19. ↑ "Baird joins the Royals". Reading F.C. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  20. ↑ "Derby County 1–3 Reading". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  21. ↑ "Baird Signs On". Burnley FC. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  22. ↑ "West Bromwich Albion announce signing of Chris Baird on one-year deal". The Guardian. Press Association. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "Chris Baird: Derby County sign Northern Ireland defender". BBC Sport. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  24. ↑ "Chris Baird: Fulham re-sign Derby County's Northern Ireland midfielder on loan". BBC Sport. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  25. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  26. 1 2 3 "Games played by Chris Baird in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  27. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  28. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  30. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  31. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  32. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  33. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  34. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  36. 1 2 "Games played by Chris Baird in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  37. ↑ "Games played by Chris Baird in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  38. 1 2 "Games played by Chris Baird in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  39. ↑ "Chris Baird". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  40. ↑ "Home of Chris Baird's mum is attacked in Rasharkin". BBC News. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  41. ↑ "Footballer Chris Baird's family home petrol bombed". The Guardian. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2014.

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