Baines only one in tune with Morrissey’s fame

England arrived in Brazil yesterday after receiving a good luck message from Morrissey, Leighton Baines has revealed.
England's Leighton Baines during a training session at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, USA.England's Leighton Baines during a training session at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, USA.
England's Leighton Baines during a training session at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, USA.

The former Smiths frontman was staying in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Miami during England’s week-long stay there last week.

Self-confessed music enthusiast Baines could not let the week go by without meeting one of his idols.

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The England full-back just about mustered enough courage to go and speak to Morrissey, although he was the only member of the squad who knew who the rock star was.

“I knew he had played in Miami that week so I had a chat with him and he wished us good luck,” the Everton defender said.

“I was a bit nervous about speaking to him because I didn’t know how it would be received.

“I don’t know if he knew who I was. I don’t know if anyone else other than (coach) Gary Neville knew who he was.”

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Morrissey and England parted ways on Saturday night when the squad flew to Rio de Janeiro to begin the final leg of their World Cup preparations.

There were a few battered and bruised bodies on the chartered jet that flew the squad to Brazil following a feisty, but ultimately scoreless, send-off against Honduras.

Referee Ricardo Salazar showed Honduras five yellow cards, including two for Brayan Beckeles, who was sent off in the 66th minute for a flying elbow on Baines.

The Everton defender also entered the book for an innocuous challenge on Wilson Palacios, who rolled about on the floor following the slightest of touches from his marker.

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Baines approached the former Spurs midfielder to ask him why he had gone down so easily and he was soon confronted by four Hondurans.

Baines showed maturity by not reacting and he was glad the rest of his team-mates did so throughout the game.

“We did well to keep our composure,” Baines added. “I thought a few of the challenges were a bit harsh. There was a bad one on Stevie (Gerrard). I was just glad to see him get up after that.

“You didn’t see us running over and making a meal of it. The one incident I got booked for I went over and asked him why he went down and suddenly there were three or four people around me. You just have to walk away from it because they are making a meal of it, it’s a lesson for us.”

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After three weeks together, Baines thinks England are primed and ready for what awaits them in Brazil. He said: “We have been together for three weeks, but it hasn’t actually felt that long. It has flown by really.”