Baines and Barry agree Everton deal

Everton have announced that both Gareth Barry and Leighton Baines have signed new contracts with the Premier League club.

Baines has spent ten years at Everton, making 351 appearances for the club, and he has agreed a new deal that will see him remain at Goodison Park until June 2018.

Barry has made 609 Premier League appearances, a total only exceeded by Ryan Giggs, and he will be looking to add to that figure after signing a new contract until June 2018.

The club has also confirmed that 20-year-old Mason Holgate has extended his contract to June 2021.

“With Leighton, his attitude is always perfect. He likes to work hard, he likes to learn, he is a technical player with a good view of the game and I’m really happy to have him in the team this season and also for the longer term," manager Ronald Koeman commented.

“Offensively, he’s a strong player who can cross the ball well and he has that cleverness in the game and in the moment, a quality that’s not in every player.

“He’s one of the experienced players in our team and what you like to have in your team is a balance in ages in the group. Players like Leighton, Phil Jagielka and Gareth Barry are leaders in our dressing room and on the pitch. For younger players, they are a little bit like teachers. They have that experience and young players need to listen to them for they will learn.

“Like Leighton, Gareth Barry is a clever player on the pitch. Only Ryan Giggs has played more games in the Premier League and let’s hope he will smash every record. He’s a quiet person but a strong character. He knows what he can and can’t do.

“He is a key player for the team. Of course, sometimes you need to protect older players, with all due respect. Gareth is 35 but he is still so important for the team and I’m very happy he has extended his contract.

“Mason is one of the big talents at the Club. Of course, he started playing this season and did a great job. He can play out of different positions in the team defensively. He was really comfortable when he got his chance in the team. He showed strengths with the football and strengths in defending. He’s the future for the Club and other young players like him."

Commenting on his new deal, Baines added: “The majority of my career I’ve spent here at Everton and it’s something that I hope will continue even beyond these next few years. I hope I’m always affiliated with Everton. It’s a huge honour for me to play for the Club for as long as I have and I’m very proud to have been here for as long as I have been.

“I’m very lucky as well. You work hard, you look after yourself and you always try to do the right things and the reward for me has been to spend such a long time at such a great club."

Barry said: “The new manager has come in and given me a new lease of life. It’s someone else to try and impress and new tactics to take on board. It’s really helped my game and I’m looking forward to taking that on and enjoying this season, which is hopefully a successful one.

“They say you can’t buy experience and, for me, it feels so much easier going out on the pitch knowing what I know. Obviously there’s different sides of the game that are needed, such as energy, but I feel as comfortable on the pitch as I have ever done and a successful team here is something I want to be part of.”

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