The Everton defender is yet to score against Liverpool but is keen to change that.
Everton defender Leighton Baines has told the club’s official website he is keen to score his first ever Merseyside derby goal in this weekend’s fixture.
Baines is better known for his prowess at creating goals for his teammates; with him having recently surpassed Graeme Le Saux’s Premier League assists record for a defender.
He has also managed to find the back of the net for the Blues from time to time, having currently netted 31 times throughout his Everton career, though most of those have came from the penalty spot. So far he has failed to score against their fiercest rivals though, despite coming up against them 17 times already.
“Scoring would be amazing,” Baines told evertontv.
“Just the win would be great for us, by any means. Jags scored a screamer at Anfield last time out and that was brilliant. We came away with a point from that so hopefully we can go one further this time.”
The defender has also iterated how he, and several other of the more senior Everton players, such as captain Phil Jagielka, have to ensure that the passion runs high but tempers are kept in check.
Of the team that is likely to start against Brendan Rodgers’ side on Saturday, only captain Jagielka has more Merseyside derby experience, with Joel Robles, Arouna Kone and new signing Aaron Lennon all set to get their first taste of the fixture.
“It’s always good to have many players on the team who have got derby experience,” added Baines.
“We have got quite a few but we’ve also got young players who are experienced enough to keep a level head, approach it correctly and not get carried away. It’s meant to be a competitive game but you have got to keep your composure as well.”
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