Pre Contract Signing (IN)

Thursday 18th January 2017
Moments ago Belfast City revealed that they have completed the pre contract signing of former Northern Ireland international Chris Baird on a on year contract worth ten thousand pounds a week...

Chris Baird - is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Derby County and played for the Northern Ireland national football team from 2003 to 2016... His preferred position is right-back or centre-half, but he has also played as a left-back, defensive midfielder and central midfielder... He has previously played for Southampton, Fulham, Reading, Burnley and West Bromwich Albion...

On 3 June 2003, Baird made his Northern Ireland début against Italy in a 2–0 defeat... Since then, he has been a regular member of the national side, despite playing little domestically between 2003 and 2005, including being involved in a squad when Northern Ireland played twelve matches without scoring a goal... In March 2007, Baird was called up by the national team despite sustaining a groin injury against Colchester United a week before... However, Baird did not appear in two international matches as a result and caused a row between the club and the Irish FA after Baird was prevented from making another appearance for the club within a set time of an international if they fail to comply with a call-up, due to the Irish FA invoked a FIFA rule and Southampton was threatened with a point deduction...

Baird then made his 50th international cap on 25 March 2011 and was given a captaincy against Serbia... He was previously given a captaincy in August 2007 against Liechtenstein in a Euro 2008 qualifier... On 18 May 2016, Baird was selected as part of the provisional 27-man squad to represent Northern Ireland in the UEFA Euro 2016 competition... On 28 May 2016, Baird was named in the final 23 man Euro 2016 squad for Northern Ireland and helped the team reach the knockout stages... On 17 August 2016, Baird announced his retirement from international football...