Everton FC and England player Leighton Baines
LEIGHTON BAINES capped his first competitive start for England with his first international goal last night – and his club teammate Sylvain Distin says the Blues left-back deserves a greater role with the national team.
Baines rounded off England’s 5-0 stroll in Moldova with a deflected free-kick last night.
And Distin feels his friend Baines, who made his debut for England against Egypt in 2010 but has played only friendlies since, has long been deserving of a bigger role for his country.
“I think he’s deserved it for a long time,” he said. “Even without playing [a competitive international] you already think he has that experience.
“Maybe mentally it’s going to be a big boost for him to play but football-wise I think the guy is already very mature.”
Regular left-back Ashley Cole was forced out of the squad for England’s first 2014 World Cup qualifier due to an ankle injury.
Cole will be 33 when the Rio tournament comes around, and Distin added: “It’s difficult for me to compare both players because I only see Ashley Cole from bits of games that I see on TV, from highlights and from when we play against him, but I see Bainesy working every day.
“It wouldn’t be fair of me to try to compare both players but from what I’ve seen of Bainesy, he’s an amazing player.
“The guy impresses me. He’s always there, always working hard, always doing more than his job. He has qualities going forward, defending, everything.”
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