Leighton Baines has a contract at Everton until the summer of 2019.
Everton defender Leighton Baines has told the Liverpool Echo that his long-term future is out of his hands as he enters the final 18 months of his current contract at Goodison Park.
Baines, 33, who is just six appearances short of reaching a huge 400 appearances in all competitions for the Merseyside giants, has been sidelined since November after going down with a long-term calf injury.
The set-piece specialist has been replaced by Cuco Martina at left-back for the time being, with the England international closing in on a return to first-team football as nears the end of his rehabilitation stage.
The former Wigan Athletic defender claims his future is not down to him, as enters the final 18 months of his contract which the Daily Star claims is worth £70,000 a week.
“Those decisions are not yours to make. The hope is that you can carry on forever but everyone knows it’s not possible and your body will naturally decline,” Baines said.
“I think whoever is at the club, the manager and the other people, will eventually make that call.
“The onus is on the individual – myself – to live my life right and be as fit as I possibly can so I can look at myself in the mirror when the times comes when they say ‘you’re not for us any more’ because I’ll have given it everything I’ve got.”
Making 20 appearances in all competitions this season, 30-time England international Baines has scored three goals and turned provider on a further two occasions for the Toffees.
However, he could find his future at the club is under scrutiny in the next transfer window as he turns 34 in December 2018.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
