Richie Baker

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Richie Baker (born 17 April 1980 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland) is an Irish football midfielder. He currently plays for Drogheda United.

He is customarily regarded as a right winger, but has occasionally been deployed in a more advanced role due in part to his aerial ability.

Baker was an important part of the Irish national team youth teams, playing for the U-18's, U-20's, and U-21's.

The highlight of Baker's career to date was arguably his 83rd minute free-kick which earned Shelbourne a 1-0 victory away to Sloga Jugomagnat of the Republic of Macedonia in a July 12, 2000 Champions League qualifying match. This represented the first away victory achieved by an Irish side in European competition for almost two decades. Shels won the tie 2-1 but were eliminated by Norwegian champions Rosenborg in the second qualifying round.

Richie won both the League of Ireland championship and the FAI Cup with Shels in 1999/2000 and three further league titles with them in 2001/02, 2003, and 2006. He spent the 2004 season with New England Revolution in the Major League Soccer league before returning to Shels for the beginning of the 2005 season. He was sent off in the last game of the 2006 season versus Bohemians but Shels still went on to win the game and clinch the title.

Baker signed for Drogheda United F.C. for the 2007 season. Baker picked up his fifth league title when United were crowned league champions at the end of the 2007 season.

Richie, who served his footballing apprenticeship with junior club Stella Maris, is the brother of Shamrock Rovers striker Dessie Baker, alongside whom he made numerous appearances for Shelbourne in the late nineties and early noughties.