Jose Baxter

Jose Baxter
Jose Baxter playing for Sheffield United
Baxter playing for Sheffield United in 2014.
Personal information
Full nameJose Baxter[1]
Date of birth7 February 1992
Place of birthBootle, Merseyside, England
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Playing positionAttacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
Sheffield United
Number11
Youth career
1998–2008Everton
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2008–2012Everton7(0)
2011–2012→ Tranmere Rovers (loan)14(3)
2012–2013Oldham Athletic43(15)
2013–Sheffield United65(16)
National team‡
2006–2008England U168(3)
2008–2009England U179(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:51, 25 March 2015 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:17, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

Jose Baxter (born 7 February 1992) is an English footballer who plays for Sheffield United as a midfielder.

Born in Bootle, Baxter began his career with his home town club of Everton and although having been on the fringes of the first team and spending time on loan at Tranmere Rovers, he rejected a new contract in 2012 in order to find regular football elsewhere. He joined Oldham Athletic shortly afterwards where he spent a successful season before being bought by Sheffield United just under 12 months later. Baxter has represented England at both under-16 and under-17 level.

Club career

Everton

Baxter joined Everton as a six-year-old.[3] He remained as an Everton youth player until 2008 when he trained with the first-team squad on tours to Switzerland and the United States two months after leaving school.

Baxter made his professional début for the club on the opening day of the 2008–09 season coming on as a substitute in a home game against Blackburn Rovers, becoming Everton's youngest ever senior player in the process, aged 16 years and 191 days, beating the record previously held by team-mate James Vaughan.

Baxter was named in the Everton starting line up to play West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns, becoming the youngest Everton player ever to start a game,[4] and March 2009 he signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with Everton.[5] Baxter remained in the squad in the starting line up and in making many substitute appearances in 2009–10 season. He also made the first team at Goodison Park against BATE Borisov in the Europa League.

Baxter joined Tranmere Rovers on loan in September 2011 and went on to score on his début against Preston North End. The loan was extended several times until January 2012, when Everton recalled Baxter.[6] Still on the fringes of the first team Baxter rejected a new contract from Everton and was released at the end of the 2011–12 season.[6]

Oldham Athletic

Following his release from Everton, Baxter had a trial at Crystal Palace but they deemed him unfit and declined to offer him a contract. Baxter subsequently signed for League One side Oldham Athletic in September 2012, agreeing a four-month contract.[7] He made his debut for the club the following date, scoring in a 2–2 draw versus Notts County.[8]

Playing and scoring regularly, Baxter's form drew interest from other league clubs but in January 2013 Baxter signed a new 2 1⁄2-year deal with Oldham Athletic.[9] Baxter started the 2013–14 season as a first team regular, but a brace against Stevenage in a 4–3 opening day victory prompted renewed interest from other clubs in acquiring his services.

Sheffield United

At the end of August 2013 Jose Baxter reunited with his former Everton youth manager, David Weir, when he signed for Sheffield United for £500,000, agreeing a three-year deal.[10] On 7 September 2013, Baxter scored his first Sheffield United goal against South Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United in a 3–1 defeat.[11] With the arrival of Nigel Clough as United's manager, Baxter eventually began to cement his place in the first team, scoring 6 goals in the process and was nominated for the League One 'Player of the Month' award for December 2013.[12] On 7 December 2014, Baxter converted two penalties in a 3–0 home victory against Plymouth Argyle to send United to the third round of the FA Cup.[13] On 10 February 2015, Baxter scored a brace in a 4–1 home victory over Colchester United.[14]

International career

Baxter has represented England at both U16 and U17 levels. He played in the first two games of the 2009 Under 17 European Championships but missed the third after picking up two yellow cards.

Career statistics

As of 7 March 2015.[15]
Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Everton 2008–09 Premier League 3010000040
2009–10 2000005070
2010–11 100010—20
2011–12 100010—20
Tranmere Rovers (loan) 2011–12 League One 143000010143
Everton Total 70102050150
Oldham Athletic 2012–13 League One 39136200004515
2013–14 4200100052
Oldham Athletic Total 43156210005017
Sheffield United 2013–14 League One 356820020458
2014–15 30109260214413
Sheffield United Total 621114460418617
Career total 125282169010116637

Honours

England U-16

Personal life

Having grown up on Merseyside, Baxter is a fan of local team Liverpool.[16] In October 2009 Baxter was one of three men arrested in Kirkby on suspicion of possession of cannabis with intent to supply, and on suspicion of possessing counterfeit money.[17] He was subsequently released without charge.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Premier League clubs submit squad lists" (PDF). Premier League. 2 February 2012. p. 15. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  2. ↑ "Jose Baxter". Sheffield United F.C. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Jose Baxter player profile". Everton F.C. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "Baxter Makes History". Everton F.C. 23 August 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  5. ↑ "Baxter signs 'dream' Everton deal". BBC Sport. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Ex-Everton wonderkid Jose Baxter on the search for first-team football". BBC Sport. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  7. ↑ "Oldham sign strikers Jose Baxter and Matt Derbyshire". BBC Sport. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Oldham 2–2 Notts County". BBC Sport. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Jose Baxter: Oldham sign striker on long-term deal". BBC Sport. 12 January 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  10. ↑ "Baxter signs". Sheffield United FC Official Website. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "Far from a royal occasion as Millers take bow". The Yorkshire Post. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Sheffield United's Jose Baxter nominated for December League One award". Sports Mole. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  13. ↑ "Sheffield United 3 Plymouth Argyle 0: Match stats". Plymouth Herald. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Match Verdict: Sheffield United 4 Colchester United 1 – Baxter hits double as Blades show they have fight". Sheffield Telegraph. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  15. ↑ Jose Baxter career statistics at Soccerbase
  16. ↑ "Jose hopes to spring another FA Cup shock". The Sheffield Star. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  17. ↑ "Everton striker Jose Baxter arrested on drugs charge". ESPNsoccernet. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2009.

External links