"There are a lot of lads here who were long-serving under him. We all feel the same, we are a bit gutted for him," says Baines. "There are personal relationships there – you don't want to see anyone having a hard time. It's hard to know what to say but we know from working with him that he is a top manager. He has to do what is right for him now whether that's coming back straight away or having a little bit of time. The lads here who worked with him know he is a top manager.