Sign up for the big Everton stories from a fantastic season so far Get the newsletter Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Jose Baxter has opened up on just how much Everton helped him following the dark lows of his drugs ban over two years ago.

The 26-year-old was once a young prodigy with the Blues, famously becoming the club's youngest ever senior player in 2008 when being brought off the bench against Blackburn Rovers as a 16-year-old.

The Bootle-born star would only go on to make 15 appearances, however, for Everton before making a permanent move to Oldham in 2012.

However, it was at Sheffield United in 2015 that things started to go off the rails for Baxter, failing a drugs test and picking up a suspended punishment by his club after testing positive for ecstasy though a hearing accepted that his drink had been spiked.

Months later another drugs test was failed, this time testing positive for cocaine. He was suspended and then released by Sheffield United before picking up a 12-month ban from football and a £4,000 fine from the FA in August 2016.

But, the midfielder was offered a lifeline by Everton, who offered him a chance to train with his former club before eventually handing Baxter a 12-month contract.

And the midfielder has now spoken fully about exactly how the Blues helped him - and how one phone call from Bill Kenwright gave him butterflies in his stomach.

“It was a Saturday evening, my missus wanted a chippy tea so I stopped off and I was in the queue with her and my phone goes and it was a no number,” Baxter told The Times .

“I answered it and he said, ‘Seems like we only spoke yesterday, doesn’t it son . . .’ and I knew it was him [Kenwright] straight away.

“He said, ‘How would you feel about coming in and doing some training with us over the summer?’ I was over the moon. I didn’t eat the chippy tea because of the butterflies in my stomach.

(Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)

“I thought it was going in to train with them, do pre-season, then try and get a club off the back of that. I was happy with that. Made up.

"I started doing some volunteering with Everton in the community. Looking after people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, elderly people, every Wednesday with Henry Mooney [Everton’s community engagement officer].

"Then one afternoon I got asked to come in for a meeting and they said they were going to give me a 12-month contract. I just broke down. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t thank them enough."

Baxter discussed the dark thoughts he had about wondering if he would ever play again before describing the feeling of walking through the doors at Everton again.

Despite fears of what people might think of his return to the club, the midfielder detailed how welcome everyone made him feel.

Baxter said: “I was nervous going in, seeing old faces: kit men, Bainesy [Leighton Baines], Jags [Phil Jagielka], Seamus [Coleman] — wondering, ‘What will they think? What’s he doing here?’ — but every one of them welcomed me with open arms.

"Even the young lads, because I was going into the under-23s, would they think, ‘Is he stopping my chance of getting through?’ All those thoughts were going through my head.

"I didn’t want to be the one who was sitting around taking a bit of a wage just to get back in football. I didn’t want to look like that.”

Despite his love for Everton, Baxter knew that his time to leave had come at the end of last term as he sought out regular league football once more - re-signing for Oldham Athletic in May 2018.

But, he's not ruled out a return to the Blues in some capacity in the future.

All the reaction to Sunday's defeat and more can be found HERE

“I’d love to stay at that club [Everton] for life,” Baxter added.

“But I felt I’m at an age where I need to get back out playing in front of crowds in the [Football] League again.

"I’m going to do my badges next year, and I’d love to be a part of Everton in the future, definitely — to get my point across to the kids, what I’ve been through.”