Leighton Baines concedes he could've been dumped by Everton six years ago.

Now regarded among Everton's best ever modern day players, Baines admits it could've been so different under David Moyes.

"It got to the point where he (Moyes) was thinking of letting me go, he wasn't sure about me still, and I didn't want to have too many more seasons like my first one when I was injured and in and out," said Baines to the Daily Express.

"There were things like I would play well for a few consecutive games and then he would take me out of the team and tell me he needed a bigger team (height wise) for who we were playing against.

"He basically told me there would be certain games I wouldn't play in regardless of how I was performing.

"So there was that process of doing jobs and being able to defend against my man at the back post which I don't feel I get done on that often. I had to prove it to him."