The Everton hero, who is currently in charge of the Under-18s team, turns 40 today
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Given Leighton Baines is the favourite player of a generation of Evertonians, there is quite a lot that is un-Everton about him.
At their best, Everton are aggressive and in-your-face in football terms. The long-held theory about Goodison Park is that it's at its best when it is scorned. When everything is working in unity there is a refreshing rawness about the Blues.
But Baines? Coolness, elegance and composure are words that come to mind. He turned up, worked his magic, gave the fans a thumbs up and went home. That's not to say Baines was not up for the fight; the left-back was just pure class. So often the ice to the Everton fire under David Moyes.
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After 420 appearances and 39 goals for the club, supporters got to know the left-back intimately. It's fair to say a lot less is known about Baines the coach though.
He retired in somewhat awkward and disappointing circumstances. At 35, the defender played his last game for the Toffees during the Covid pandemic, against AFC Bournemouth in July 2020.
Before the game supporters were aware that he had been offered a one-year contract extension, although no news of an agreement had emerged. So when Carlo Ancelotti brought him on as a substitute late on against the Cherries, it felt like it might be the end.
Afterwards, the decision was confirmed and given Baines' interests away from football it felt like it may be the last we saw of him in a working capacity at Goodison Park.
Instead he was quickly brought back to the club's coaching staff to work with the youth team and has progressed to the role of Under-18s manager since.
It is encouraging for Evertonians that one of their finest Premier League footballers is overseeing the development of the next generation. In terms of professionalism, fitness and consistency, he set standards throughout his career any elite player should aspire to.
The signs are that those virtues persist in his coaching too, as Baines looks to be making his mark. A challenging previous season - they finished 11th in the Under 18s Premier League north - ended with an 8-0 win for the Under-18s against Newcastle United and the goals have continued to flow this term.
At the time of writing, they are in fourth after three 3-2 wins in their last four games. One of those came against Liverpool in a dramatic mini-derby victory, as the young Blues netted twice in stoppage time to turn the game on its head.
But is youth football it for Baines? Well, it's not absolutely clear.
Under-18s coaching could well be the sum of his ambitions. Perhaps, as he did as a player, he would be willing to turn down opportunities elsewhere to preserve his strong links with the Blues.
On the other hand, it would not be a shock if he had desires to become a senior head coach too. Last year he was linked with the Plymouth Argyle role currently occupied by former team-mate Wayne Rooney.
The reality is that Baines has never openly spoken about his coaching goals publicly. He has a reputation for being media shy. On Tuesday, a rare interview with the club's in-house media team dropped ahead of the FA Youth Cup tie with Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park on Wednesday night.
Baines, of course, is under no obligation to speak to any reporters. But there is a clear contrast in how often he goes on the record to preview and review games compared to his predecessors Paul Tait and Kevin Sheedy. If his ambitions extend beyond academy football then it is something he will need to tackle more frequently.
For now, that leap doesn't appear to be forthcoming. It will not have escaped him that former coaches at Everton like David Unsworth and Duncan Ferguson have left the comfort of Finch Farm with strong reputations and found it tough at new clubs.
But even for the laid-back left-back, reaching a milestone like 40 will surely trigger some thoughts about the next chapter.
If it is to be elsewhere and in a senior role, then the media-shy Baines may need to make some forays into the limelight. Perhaps we will see more frequent Everton interviews, while he's also booked in to do two 'An Evening with Leighton Baines' events in January 2025.
But if he's to remain at Everton to nurture the academy ranks? There are surely none of a royal blue persuasion who will object.