Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar.
STEVEN PIENAAR hopes Everton can keep hold of Leighton Baines so the pair can revive their exciting partnership again next season.
The South African midfielder was thrilled to seal his permanent Goodison return on Tuesday in a £4.5m move from Spurs, and admits he will be even happier if the Blues can ward off interest in Baines.
Manchester United have yet to follow-up their interest in the England defender with a formal bid, amid speculation Alex Ferguson is reluctant to pay Everton’s asking price for one of their key performers.
And Pienaar insists retaining the 27-year-old’s services could have a big influence on Everton next term.
He said: “It’s not up to me, it’s up to the club to keep their best players, but hopefully he’ll stay and so will the rest of the guys. It will be important for the team.
“We had a good understanding in the last couple of seasons so if he stays it will just make everyone happy as well, because we know how important he is to the entire team.
“He can score goals from set pieces and it’s not just me who benefits from playing alongside him. He’s a vital player for the club – everyone knows it from the manager to the supporters. Let’s hope and see if we can hold onto him.”
Pienaar admitted Baines had contacted him over the summer, keen to know his own future, but said he would have to accept it if the left-back decided to move to a Champions League club.
“He texted me a few weeks ago asking me what was happening with me, but I didn’t ask him about his future,” he said.
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