Silva: Leighton's 'Quality And Experience' Vital

Marco Silva revealed agreeing fresh terms with “top professional” Leighton Baines was high on his priority list this summer.

Defender Baines has penned a one-year deal to extend his Everton career to a 13th campaign.

The 34-year-old, who signed from Wigan Athletic in summer 2007, has made 411 appearances for the Club.

He featured eight times in Silva’s first campaign in charge, with player-of-the-season Lucas Digne outstanding at left-back. But the manager insisted he was eager to keep a performer of Baines’s pedigree and experience.

“It was vital for me to keep Leighton at Everton and I am very pleased to finalise his contract before we return for pre-season,” Silva told evertonfc.com.

“Leighton is part of the Club’s fabric and a top-class professional.

“Most importantly, Leighton is still an exceptionally good footballer and features in our vision for what we want to achieve at Everton.

“Leighton showed in my first season that we can rely on him to perform at a high level whenever he plays and he provides excellent competition for Lucas Digne.

“Also, at Finch Farm every day, Leighton is focussed, setting a fantastic example and bringing his quality and experience to every training session.”