- Chris Baird
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This article is about the Northern Irish footballer. For the former radio presenter, see BBC Radio Derby.
Chris Baird 
Personal information Full name Christopher Patrick Baird Date of birth 25 February 1982 Place of birth Rasharkin, Northern Ireland Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) [1] Playing position Defender Club information Current club Fulham Number 6 Youth career Ballymena United 1998–2002 Southampton Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2002–2007 Southampton 68 (3) 2003 → Walsall (loan) 10 (0) 2004 → Watford (loan) 8 (0) 2007– Fulham 95 (2) National team‡ 2002–2003 Northern Ireland U21 6 (0) 2003– Northern Ireland 54 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:06, 11 September 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:00, 10 August 2011 (UTC)Christopher Patrick "Chris" Baird (born 25 February 1982 in Rasharkin, County Antrim) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Fulham and the Northern Ireland national football team.
Contents
Club career
Southampton
Baird started his career at Northern Irish club, Ballymena United, before moving to Southampton in 1998.[2]
Baird made his debut for Southampton on 22 March 2003 as a late substitute for David Prutton in a 2–2 draw at home with Aston Villa. His second appearance came in a 6–1 defeat at Arsenal, when he came on after 26 minutes, with Arsenal already 5–0 up.[3]
Baird's first start came on the final day of the 2002–03 League season, in a 1–0 win at Manchester City. A week later, he started for Southampton in the 2003 FA Cup Final, also against Arsenal. Southampton lost the match 1–0, but Baird was voted as the Saints man of the match.[4]
He subsequently made two successful loan spells away from Southampton – two months at Walsall, where he played regularly in the first-team, and a month at Watford.[3]
In the 2003–04 season, Baird made only four league appearances for Southampton, and none at all in the following season. Following Southampton's relegation from the Premiership, Baird re-established himself in the Southampton squad and was singled out for praise by Southampton manager George Burley.[citation needed] He started 16 league games in the 2005–06 season.[3]
In the first game of the 2006–07 season, away to Derby County on 6 August 2006, he was drafted into the centre half position when Claus Lundekvam went off injured in the sixth minute. On 25 November 2006, in his 50th first-team game for Southampton, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Luton Town.[5]
He spent most of the 2006–07 season in central defence, and at the end of the season he was the winner of the Saints Player of the Season award.[6]
Fulham
Baird left Southampton on 12 July 2007 to move to Premier League club Fulham for £3.025m.[7] Having initially worn the number 34 shirt, he changed to the number 6 for the 2009–10 season. Due to the injuries to Dickson Etuhu and Danny Murphy, he was often used in a central midfield role during the 2009–10 season, but with their return from injury he returned to his favoured right back position. Baird started the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final against Atletico Madrid ahead of John Paintsil, but on 14 September 2010, Baird signed a new contract with Fulham, keeping him at Craven Cottage until at least the summer of 2013. On 14 August 2010, he was an unused substitute in their opening game of the new campaign against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium in the 0-0 draw. On 22 August 2010, in the match with Manchester United at Craven Cottage, he was an unused sub in a 2-2 draw. On 28 August 2010, Baird was an unused substitute in the league game with Blackpool at Bloomfield Road in a 2-2 draw. On 18 September 2010, he was an unused substitute in the Barclays Premier League game with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in the 1-1 draw.[8] He scored his first and second goals for Fulham against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on 28 December 2010 in a 2-0 victory. On 26 January 2011, he started and played the full 90 minutes for Fulham at left-back against Liverpool at Anfield in a 1-0 defeat. On 9 April 2011, Baird started and played the full 90 minutes at right-back against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a 2-0 defeat. On 27 April 2011, he started and played the full 90 minutes against Bolton Wanderers in a 3-0 victory at Craven Cottage.
Baird was charged with abusive and insulting gestures towards a match official during a match against Liverpool on 9 May 2011, after he played the full 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card by referee Lee Mason in the 5-2 defeat at Craven Cottage. He then subsequently missed the last two games of the season against Birmingham City and Arsenal and was replaced by Philippe Senderos. At the end of the 2010-11 season, he made 31 appearances and scored 2 goals in all competitions for Fulham.
International career
In June 2003, Baird made his Northern Ireland debut against Italy in a 2–0 defeat. Since then, he has been a regular member of the national side, despite playing little domestically between 2003 and 2005.[3] His mothers home in Rasharkin was petrol bombed by loyalists in September 2010 in a sectarian attack.[9]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 14:12, 27 October 2011.[3]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total 2002–03 Southampton Premier League 3 0 1 0 0 0 - - 4 0 2003–04 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 2003–04 Walsall First Division 10 0 0 0 0 0 - - 10 0 2003–04 Watford First Division 8 0 0 0 0 0 - - 8 0 2004–05 Southampton Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0 2005–06 Championship 17 0 2 0 1 0 - - 20 0 2006–07 46[10] 3 2 0 3 0 - - 51 3 2007–08 Fulham Premier League 18 0 2 0 1 0 - - 21 0 2008–09 10 0 0 0 1 0 - - 11 0 2009–10 32 0 3 0 1 0 16 0 52 0 2010–11 29 2 2 0 0 0 - - 31 2 2011–12 6 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 12 0 Career total 183 5 12 0 8 0 21 0 224 5 Honours
- FA Cup finalist: 2003
- Fans' Player of the Season: 2006–07
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2010
References
- ^ "Premier League Player Profile". Premier League. http://www.premierleague.com/page/PlayerProfile/0,,12306~23688,00.html. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ "Baird signs new Fulham contract". BBC News. 14 September 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8997731.stm.
- ^ a b c d e "Chris Baird: Fulham". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=31858. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ "FA Cup final player ratings". news.bbc.co.uk. 17 May 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/3036411.stm. Retrieved 10 November 2006.
- ^ "Baird off the mark". saintsfc.co.uk. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=7780. Retrieved 26 November 2006.
- ^ "Chris Baird". Fulham Football Club. http://www.fulhamfc.com/MatchAndTeam/PlayerProfiles/ProfileDetails/ChrisBaird.aspx. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ "Fulham complete capture of Baird". BBC Sport. 12 July 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/6278052.stm. Retrieved 12 July 2007.
- ^ "Baird Signs New Deal". Fulham FC. http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/September/BairdNewContract.aspx. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
- ^ "Home of Chris Baird's mum is attacked in Rasharkin" 20 September 2010, BBC NEWS
- ^ Including play-offs
External links
Awards Preceded by
Claus LundekvamSouthampton F.C. player of the season
2006–07Succeeded by
Andrew DaviesFulham F.C. – current squad 1 Schwarzer · 2 Kelly · 3 J. A. Riise · 4 Sidwell · 5 Hangeland · 6 Baird · 8 Johnson · 9 Sá · 10 Kasami · 11 Ruiz · 13 Murphy (c) · 14 Senderos · 15 Gecov · 16 Duff · 17 B. H. Riise · 18 Hughes · 20 Etuhu · 21 Frei · 22 Somogyi · 23 Dempsey · 25 Zamora · 26 Grygera · 28 Briggs · 29 Davies · 30 Dembélé · 32 Halliche · 34 Donegan · 37 Harris · 38 Etheridge · 39 Arthurworrey · 40 Smith · 41 Bettinelli · 42 Trotta · 43 Pritchard · Manager: Jol
Categories:- 1982 births
- Living people
- Association football defenders
- Fulham F.C. players
- Northern Ireland international footballers
- Northern Ireland under-21 international footballers
- Association footballers from Northern Ireland
- People from County Antrim
- Roman Catholics from Northern Ireland
- Irish Catholics
- Premier League players
- Southampton F.C. players
- The Football League players
- Walsall F.C. players
- Watford F.C. players
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