1. Early life and background
Eric Bailly was born in Bingerville, Ivory Coast, on 12 April 1994. At the age of 17, he joined the youth system of Spanish club RCD Espanyol in December 2011. Bailly was discovered by Espanyol's Emilio Montagut after participating in a youth tournament held in Burkina Faso, which was organized by the Spanish company Promoesport. During this period, some records erroneously listed his name as Eric Bertrand, mistaking his middle name for his paternal surname. He faced delays in obtaining a work permit, which he finally received in October 2012, allowing him to officially begin his professional football journey in Spain.
2. Club career
Eric Bailly's professional club career has seen him play across Spain, England, France, and Turkey, marked by periods of strong performance and significant injury challenges.
2.1. Espanyol
Bailly made his senior debut in the 2013-14 campaign with the reserves, competing in Segunda División B. On 5 October 2014, he made his first-team and La Liga debut, coming on as a late substitute in a 2-0 home victory against Real Sociedad. Following this appearance, he was promptly promoted to the main squad. He played a total of five matches for the senior RCD Espanyol team before his transfer to Villarreal.
2.2. Villarreal
On 29 January 2015, Bailly signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with fellow La Liga team Villarreal CF. The transfer fee was reported as 5.70 M EUR, with some sources also stating it as 4.50 M GBP. He was primarily brought in as a replacement for Gabriel Paulista, who had transferred to Arsenal F.C.. Bailly made his debut for Villarreal, nicknamed the "Yellow Submarine," on 22 February, starting in a 1-0 home win against SD Eibar.
His UEFA Europa League debut came on 19 March, where he started but was sent off in a 2-1 away loss against Sevilla FC. On 18 October 2015, Bailly received another red card shortly after halftime in a 2-1 home defeat to Celta de Vigo at Estadio El Madrigal (now known as Estadio de la Cerámica). Despite these disciplinary incidents, he made seven appearances as Villarreal reached the semi-finals of the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League. On 22 October 2015, he scored his first career goal, which was also his only goal for Villarreal, to complete a 4-0 home group stage victory over FC Dinamo Minsk.
2.3. Manchester United
Eric Bailly's time at Manchester United was characterized by an impressive debut season, followed by a series of recurring injuries that significantly impacted his playing time, despite several contract extensions.
2.3.1. 2016-17 season: Debut campaign and Europa League
On 8 June 2016, Bailly joined Premier League side Manchester United F.C. for a reported fee of 30.00 M GBP, also cited as 40.00 M EUR. He signed a four-year contract with an option for an additional two years, becoming the first player recruited by new manager José Mourinho.
He made his competitive debut on 7 August in a 2-1 victory against Leicester City at Wembley Stadium, securing the 2016 FA Community Shield. Bailly was named man of the match for his performance. A week later, he was again awarded man of the match on his Premier League debut, a 3-1 win at Bournemouth. His strong early performances led to him being voted Manchester United's Player of the Month for August 2016. Bailly expressed that the individual awards were unexpected but a result of his diligent effort, hoping for continued success.
On 23 October 2016, Bailly suffered a serious knee injury during a 4-0 loss at Chelsea F.C., leading to his substitution in the 52nd minute. Despite this setback, he made 11 appearances as Manchester United went on to win the Europa League, and he was subsequently named in the competition's Squad of the Season. Manchester United also won the EFL Cup that season, defeating Southampton 3-2 in the final. During the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo on 12 May 2017, Bailly was sent off after an altercation with Celta defender Facundo Roncaglia. It was reported that Bailly's anger stemmed from alleged racist remarks directed at him during the incident, leading to his two-match suspension and absence from the final against AFC Ajax.
2.3.2. 2017-18 season
On 19 August 2017, Bailly scored the first league goal of his club career, which was also his only goal for Manchester United. This occurred in a 4-0 away win over Swansea City, where he followed up on a Paul Pogba header that had rebounded off the crossbar.
On 8 November 2017, Bailly sustained an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for approximately 100 days. He returned to action on 17 February 2018, coming on as a substitute for Romelu Lukaku in the final moments of a 2-0 FA Cup victory against Huddersfield Town. By the end of the season, he had made a total of 18 appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal.
2.3.3. 2018-2021: Injury-hit campaigns
Bailly's injury struggles persisted into the 2018-19 season, limiting him to just 18 appearances across all competitions, with 12 in the Premier League. On 30 December 2018, he was sent off in a 4-1 home win against AFC Bournemouth for a foul on Ryan Fraser, an incident that drew criticism from manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Following the dismissal of manager José Mourinho, while some players like Paul Pogba appeared to celebrate, Bailly publicly expressed his gratitude and respect for the former coach. On 28 April 2019, he suffered a ligament injury, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
In July 2019, Bailly was sidelined for an additional four months after sustaining a knee injury during a pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in China. He made his return from injury on 10 January 2020, playing for Manchester United's under-23 team against Newcastle United. On 17 January 2020, Bailly signed a two-year contract extension with United, securing his stay at the club until the end of the 2021-22 season. He made his Premier League comeback on 17 February, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 victory against Chelsea.
He marked his 100th appearance for the club on 11 March 2021, in a 1-1 draw against AC Milan in the Europa League at Old Trafford. On 26 April 2021, he signed a new contract extending his commitment to the club until 2024, with an option for a further year. Bailly's first appearance of the 2021-22 campaign came on 23 September 2021, in an EFL Cup tie against West Ham United, which Manchester United lost 1-0.
2.3.4. Marseille (loan)
On 24 August 2022, Bailly joined Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille on loan for the duration of the 2022-23 season. He made his debut for Marseille as a substitute in a 3-0 win over OGC Nice on 28 August.
On 7 January 2023, during a Coupe de France match against Hyères, Bailly was sent off for a dangerous high challenge that resulted in Hyères player Moussa N'Diaye being hospitalized. Subsequently, on 19 January, the French Football Federation issued Bailly a seven-match suspension for the incident. Bailly concluded his loan spell at Marseille having made 17 appearances in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season, of which five were starts.
2.4. Beşiktaş
On 4 September 2023, Süper Lig club Beşiktaş announced the signing of Bailly on a reported one-year contract. However, his tenure at the club was brief. On 11 December 2023, Beşiktaş publicly stated that Bailly, along with teammates Vincent Aboubakar, Valentin Rosier, Rachid Ghezzal, and Jean Onana, had been excluded from the squad due to poor performance and perceived incompatibility within the team. His contract was subsequently terminated by mutual agreement on 29 December 2023.
2.5. Return to Villarreal
Following his departure from Beşiktaş, Bailly returned to his former club Villarreal CF on 30 December 2023, signing a contract that extends until 30 June 2025.
3. International career
On 29 December 2014, Eric Bailly was included in Hervé Renard's 23-man squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. He made his international debut for the Ivory Coast on 11 January 2015, in a friendly match against Nigeria. Bailly played in all six matches during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, contributing to his team's triumph as they were crowned champions.
He was again selected for the Elephants' squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. In this tournament, he played the entirety of all three group stage matches, though Ivory Coast's campaign ended prematurely in the group stage.
On 12 October 2018, Bailly scored his first international goal in a 4-0 victory over the Central African Republic during a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier held at the Stade Bouaké. However, in April 2019, he suffered a knee injury that ruled him out of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.
On 3 July 2021, Bailly was chosen as one of the designated overaged players for the Ivory Coast Olympic team participating in the 2020 Summer Olympics. He made his Olympic debut on 22 July in a 2-1 win against Saudi Arabia. Bailly made four appearances in the tournament, scoring one goal in the quarter-final defeat against Spain.
At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Cameroon at the beginning of 2022, Bailly sustained a head injury towards the end of a 2-2 draw with Sierra Leone in the second group stage match, which caused him to miss the subsequent game against Algeria. He wore a scrum cap in the goalless last 16 match against Egypt, but was the only player to miss his shot in the penalty shootout, with his attempt saved by substitute goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal.
4. Career statistics
This section provides a detailed statistical overview of Eric Bailly's professional football career, encompassing his appearances and goals for various clubs and the national team.
4.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup (Includes Copa del Rey, FA Cup, Coupe de France) | League cup (Includes EFL Cup) | Europe | Other (Includes FA Community Shield) | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Espanyol B | 2013-14 | Segunda División B | 20 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 20 | 0 | ||||
| 2014-15 | Segunda División B | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| Espanyol | 2014-15 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 5 | 0 | |||
| Villarreal | 2014-15 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | La Liga | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 7 | 1 | - | 35 | 1 | |||
| Total | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 | ||
| Manchester United | 2016-17 | Premier League | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | Premier League | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |
| 2018-19 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2019-20 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2020-21 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2021-22 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 70 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 113 | 1 | ||
| Marseille (loan) | 2022-23 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | - | 23 | 0 | ||
| Beşiktaş | 2023-24 | Süper Lig | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | ||
| Villarreal | 2023-24 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2024-25 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 173 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 240 | 2 | ||
4.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 2015 | 12 | 0 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | 2 | |
Ivory Coast score listed first, score column indicates score after each Bailly goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 October 2018 | Stade Bouaké, Bouaké, Ivory Coast | 32 | Central African Republic | 2-0 | 4-0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 23 March 2019 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 34 | Rwanda | 2-0 | 3-0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
5. Honours
Eric Bailly has achieved several team and individual honours throughout his career.
Manchester United
- EFL Cup: 2016-17
- FA Community Shield: 2016
- UEFA Europa League: 2016-17; runner-up: 2020-21
- FA Cup runner-up: 2017-18
Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2015
Individual
- CAF Team of the Year: 2016, 2017, 2018
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016-17
- IFFHS CAF Men's Team of the Decade 2011-2020