Charlie Adam has praised Leighton Baines’ coaching, saying the Everton assistant manager helped shape his own development while the two worked together on David Moyes’ backroom staff in early 2025. Adam spent six months as Everton’s set-piece coach before reflecting on the experience after the Game4Hope charity match at Goodison Park.
The Leighton Baines Charlie Adam link goes back to that spell on Moyes’ staff, and Adam did not hold back when asked what Baines had brought to his own coaching.
Former set-piece coach highlights Baines’ attention to detail
Speaking in his interview with the Liverpool Echo, Adam explained exactly what impressed him about his former colleague. “He is a top, top player, and you could just still see, even now, his hunger. I worked at Everton for six months, and in terms of coaching you can see how he’s trying to develop and learn as a coach. He is a very, very good coach.”
Adam also picked out the quieter side of Baines’ approach on the training ground. “He is quiet, he is reserved, but [his attention to] detail, and seeing the game, is very, very good.”
The pair were reunited for the Game4Hope charity match, which raised money for Shelter and Everton in the Community. A Merseyside XI beat a Rest of the World side 3-2, with Baines scoring the winner after converting the rebound from his own stoppage-time penalty. Adam reflected on working under a club legend turned coach. “He’s a legend of this football club, but to be able to step back in and be a coach… I took a lot for myself learning from him in that period as a coach, and taking it into my own job that I’m doing now, as well. It is always good to be around good coaches and develop with them.”
Tactical development under Moyes
Baines’ rise to Moyes’ assistant did not happen overnight. He had been leading Everton’s Under-18s before Moyes promoted him to the senior coaching staff in January 2025. Adam joined around the same period, working specifically on set pieces as Moyes rebuilt his staff. That gave Adam a close view of how Baines handled his second career, and their paths crossed again at Game4Hope. The Leighton Baines Charlie Adam bond formed on Moyes’ backroom staff was obvious throughout the event. For more on how the staff has developed since, our updates on David Moyes’ tenure at Everton cover the wider picture.
Adam also spoke about what the occasion meant beyond the pitch, with Liverpool and Everton figures joining forces for charity. “I think that’s something this city is special for, the two football clubs join forces in any moment they can. There’s a huge rivalry off the pitch within the supporters and in the Premier League.” He added: “But with things like this, they come together and they put on a good show. They’re amazing people, Scousers, and they have come here to support the players here, red or blue.”
Adam’s time on Merseyside left him with a strong sense of the club’s identity too. “It is a proud football club and when you get inside it you understand what the football club’s about, and the traditions.”
Future impact at the Hill Dickinson…
Adam’s coaching journey has since taken him to Turf Moor, where he now works as Burnley’s head of academy player development. He credits his time alongside Baines with shaping how he approaches that role, taking lessons learned on Moyes’ staff into his work with Burnley’s academy.
Baines, meanwhile, remains part of Moyes’ backroom staff at Everton, with the club now playing at Hill Dickinson Stadium after their move from Goodison Park. Adam touched on that shift when reflecting on his own return to Merseyside for the charity match. “I was here when they left their stadium to go to the new stadium and it’s a proud stadium. I played here many times and let’s say, it’s old, but there’s a real good feeling of history when you come back here.”
For the latest Everton news and developments, supporters can follow how Moyes’ squad and staff continue to take shape this season.
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