Alex Baptiste

Football player infobox
playername = Alex Baptiste


fullname = Alexander Aaron John-Baptiste
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1986|1|31|df=y
cityofbirth = Sutton-in-Ashfield
countryofbirth = England
height =
currentclub = Blackpool
clubnumber = 15
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2002–2008
2003–2004
2004
2008–
clubs = Mansfield Town
→ Tamworth (loan)
→ Burton Albion (loan)
Blackpool|
caps(goals) = 174 (5)
004 (0)
003 (0)
000 (0)
pcupdate = 21:02, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

Alexander Aaron "Alex" John-Baptiste (born 31 January 1986 in Sutton-in-Ashfield, England) is an English footballer who plays for Blackpool. Baptiste usually plays in central defence, but he has also occasionally played at right-back or as a defensive midfielder.

Career

Baptiste came up through the youth team at Mansfield Town and made his first-team debut aged 17 against Barnsley in April 2003. [cite web |title=Alex Baptiste profile |publisher=Mansfield Town F.C. official site |url=http://www.mansfieldtown.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10325~22902,00.html |accessdate=2008-04-16] [cite web |title=Games played by Alex Baptiste in 2002/2003 |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Racing Post |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=33645&seasonid=132 |accessdate=2008-04-16] Following loan spells at Tamworth and Burton Albion, he established himself as first-choice central defender for Mansfield towards the end of the 2003–04 season. [cite web |title=Games played by Alex Baptiste in 2003/2004 |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Racing Post |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=33645&seasonid=133 |accessdate=2008-04-16] He was ever-present during the 2006–07 season, and by the end of the campaign had made over 150 appearances for Mansfield.cite news |title=John-Baptiste pens Mansfield deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2007-07-03 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/mansfield_town/6264490.stm |accessdate=2008-04-16] Baptiste signed a new three-year contract despite interest from Crewe Alexandra in the summer of 2007, but missed three months of the 2007–08 season with a back injury. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/mansfield_town/7403040.stm|title=John-Baptiste admits to poor form |date=2008-05-15|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-15] After Mansfield Town were relegated to the Football Conference at the end of the 2007–08 season, he requested a transfer, which was granted. [cite web|url=http://www.football.co.uk/mansfield_town/johnbaptiste_to_leave_stags_264492.shtml|title=John-Baptiste to leave Stags|date=2008-05-09|publisher=Football.co.uk |accessdate=2008-05-10] On 1 July, 2008, Baptiste agreed a deal to join Championship side Blackpool. Speaking about the move, Baptiste described it as a "great opportunity and challenge". [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/blackpool/7483839.stm|title= Blackpool complete Baptiste deal |date=2008-07-01|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-07-01]

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=33645|name=Alex Baptiste