BAINES:MY PROUDEST MOMENT...

LEIGHTON BAINES WAS SO PROUD TO WERE THE 3 LIONS SHIRT LAST NIGHT...

Leighton Baines was 'buzzing' after an England debut he says was the proudest moment of his career.

The Everton man gave a good account of himself as he played the full 90 minutes of England's 3-1 win over Egypt on Wednesday night.

Baines was expected to share left-back duties with another World Cup hopeful, Aston Villa's Stephen Warnock. But England boss Fabio Capello instead chose to hand the ex-Wigan man a whole game to state his case for a place on the plane to South Africa.

"I'm absolutely buzzing," said Baines afterwards. "I only found out I was in the team just before we left the hotel to come to Wembley.

"I thought I might get to play 20 minutes at the end or maybe a half if I was lucky. I'd heard that people were saying me and Stephen would get a half each and I thought to myself ‘I'll take that'.

"I wanted to start, because I wanted to be on the pitch for the national anthem and feel a part of it. But to play the full game was totally unexpected and that's why I'm just over the moon. It's got to be the proudest moment of my career."

Typically level-headed, the defender is now intent on keeping calm and focussing on his Everton responsibilities rather than getting carried away with thoughts of football's biggest spectacle.

"Playing for England is not something you expect to do," said Baines. "I suppose it's all happened quite quickly but you have got to take your chance if it comes along. The next meet-up is not until May now and I have got to make sure I am in that.

"The more time I get to spend with the England squad, the better it will be. You can build up relationships then. I've just got to keep playing as well as I can for Everton.

"Playing 90 minutes has been a big confidence boost and I've just got to keep it going. It would be a dream if I managed to get to the World Cup."