Lewis Baker's rise to England Under-21 stardom

By Billy Cundall

The young Three Lions have breathed new life into English football this summer, but perhaps the most impressive prospect has crafted his skills abroad. 

It is often regarded as a rarity to see a British player venture overseas, with an intermittent handful of successes such as Gary Lineker, Owen Hargreaves and most recently Gareth Bale making up an exclusive club that paints over the cracks of the far more concerning lack of international development for home-grown players. 

Chelsea have attracted criticism for their hoarding of young players, sending no less than 37 out on loan over the last 12 months. However, Lewis Baker is one of the more captivating cases.

With the senior England side having had a perceived lack of progress in recent major tournaments, it is habitually pointed out that those countries who encourage their players to ply their trade abroad often benefit with long-term rewards. 

These recompenses stem from allowing their youngsters to broaden their experience and enhance their performance through the acquisition of the knowledge and understanding of cultural differences in styles of football. 

More tangibly, however, the rewards are often demonstrated through a greater level of success at international level. 

MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENTS

For example, Portugal’s 2016 European Championship winning squad was comprised of 15 players who were playing their football outside their homeland, meaning only eight players played for a club in Portugal. England, contrastingly, had all 23 of their squad plying their trade in the Premier League.

This leads us to the rather unique case of Lewis Baker; an attacking-midfielder who for the last two seasons has been ducking under the radar whilst on-loan at Vitesse in the Eredivisie. 

With 23 goals in 73 appearances, his stint in the Netherlands has seen Baker emerge as a central figure in successive campaigns for the Dutch side, and his example could pave the way for budding British players to follow his example and expand their continental familiarity.  

With an influx of foreign managers and their innovative philosophies stamping their influence on the ‘English-game’, it can come with few qualms to suggest that players should go and develop their continental comprehension first-hand in a foreign country.

Both the Premier League's club and the FA have spent millions on foreign coaches to nurture their talents, but yet so few of those talents are willing to get a proper education by venturing abroad.  

Baker is by no means a perfect footballing model, with the quality of the Eredivisie below the bar set by the Premier League; but it is not essentially just the footballing knowledge acquired that is the most valuable aspect of his journey. 

On many levels, the strength of character created in the difficult circumstances of moving country will elevate Baker’s all-round game when it really matters. 

Travelling to a foreign culture and being stripped of a comfort zone can test a player’s mental fragility, and with the ambiguous perception that English players fall short in the talent department compared to their foreign counterparts, going abroad becomes a outwardly more testing obstacle. 

BEST BRITS ABROAD

Looking slightly beyond the stratosphere of football, Andy Murray is considered one of the greatest British athletes to date, and to contemplate he moved country at age 15, the correlation between great sporting figures and adversity becomes seemingly apparent. 

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Dani Alves just to name a few left their homeland to test their talents abroad, and their success has been unequivocal. 

Perhaps if prior young English talents might have ventured further afield, we may be looking at not only a more diversified set of current England players, but we may be looking at a side that can more easily deal with the pressure of pulling on that England shirt and delivering on the big stage. 

Baker’s future is uncertain, and so he will have to add to his impressive string of performances this tournament, making it consecutive notable summers after having won the Golden Boot at the 2016 Toulon Tournament where he helped the Young Lions to achieve England’s first trophy since the 1966 World Cup.  

A third season at Vitesse ‘’doesn’t make sense’’ according to Baker, and he has recently self-confessed that he ‘’won’t give up’’ on his goal to break the Chelsea starting eleven. 

Since his step up to the under-21 side, Baker has continued to flourish, contributing eight goals in 14 appearances, surely attracting suitors if the Blues deem him surplus to requirements.

Whether inspired by coincidence or bravery, his move to the Netherlands has undoubtedly stood him in positive stead to tackle the brightest talents on the international stage and the next step of his career.