Leighton Baines is a name fondly remembered by Everton fans for his contributions to the club for over a decade, cementing himself in the club’s history.
Everton fans enjoyed Leighton Baines marauding down the left-hand side for 13 years, racking up 39 goals and 64 assists for the Toffees in the club’s halcyon days under David Moyes.
Although Lucas Digne was a solid replacement for the Kirkby-born star, Everton really haven’t had anyone of Baines’ ilk since he retired in 2020.
However, David Moyes believes that although Baines was heroic for the Toffees in the Premier League, he took time to adjust – and that new signing Adam Aznou bears a lot of similarities to the Premier League icon.
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David Moyes thinks Adam Aznou is incredibly similar to Everton legend Leighton Baines
Leighton Baines joined Everton from Wigan Athletic in 2007, having made 72 appearances for the Latics before his move to Goodison Park.
At the age of 22 at the time, Baines was slight in his stature and although he possessed good qualities on the ball, he had work to do physically before going on to become an Everton legend.
Aznou is in a similar boat. The Morocco international has yet to feature for Everton in any competition following his summer move from Bayern Munich, and his future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium has already been deliberated after failing to pull on the first-team shirt.
But Moyes believes that once he develops in terms of physical stature, Aznou can go on to become a real talent for the Toffees. Moyes said: ““He’s coming on, Adam, but he’s 19.
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“That’s not to say that 19 is too young to play, that’s for sure.
“But physically we think he’s got a bit to go. But when Leighton Baines came from Wigan, physically had loads to go, but he went on to become a terrific left-back and a really good player.
“We hope Adam can do the same. We mustn’t forget he’s 19 though, while it’s not incredibly young, it’s not old either for a young boy coming into the league and I think we just have to take a bit of time with Adam.”
If Aznou can replicate even a quarter of the output that Baines did during his time on Merseyside, he’ll go on to be a fan favourite, that’s for sure.
Adam Aznou will have until pre-season to convince David Moyes that he is worthy of a Premier League spot
Everton are in a bit of a dilemma at left-back. Vitaliy Mykolenko is out of contract at the end of the season, and although the Ukrainian performed well against Manchester United on Monday, his exit remains a distinct possibility.
If he does leave, Everton will need a replacement – and if Aznou isn’t ready to feature for the first-team by the start of next season, it could well be that two full-backs will be bought.
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It’s easy to forget that Aznou has only featured in 17 games of first-team football, away from Bayern Munich’s youth and reserve sides, and he will need time to adapt.
But once he starts impressing Moyes enough in training to be competing for a first-team spot, he may not look back at such a young age – especially with four years left on his contract.
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