Ex-England U21 midfielder Baker swaps Stoke for Turkey

Former Stoke City captain Lewis Baker has joined Turkish side Bursaspor [Getty Images] Former England Under-21 and Chelsea midfielder Lewis Baker has joined Turkish side Bursaspor after being released by Stoke City at the end of last season. Baker, 31, came through Chelsea's academy and made two first-team appearances as well as featuring for the likes of Middlesbrough, Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading on loan. He spent the first half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Blackburn Rovers and made 13 appearances for the East Lancashire side before returning to Stoke. He also had temporary spells in the Netherlands and Germany and spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Trabzonspor in Turkey. This alerted Bursaspor and they are delighted to have landed Baker, who won 17 Under-21 caps between 2015 and 2017. Club president Enes Celik said: "We have completed the signing of Lewis Baker, who can play as a number six and number eight. May it be beneficial for our club. "We acquired him from Stoke City. He has played for Chelsea and Trabzonspor. He's good at set-pieces." Latest Stoke City news, analysis and fan views