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English footballer (1940–2003)

Joseph Henry Baker (17 July 1940 – 6 October 2003) was an England international footballer. Born in Woolton in Liverpool, England, he spent virtually his entire childhood growing up in Motherwell, Scotland. He is notable for being the first professional player to have played for England without having previously played in the English football league system, and for scoring over 100 goals in both the English and Scottish leagues. His brother Gerry Baker was also a professional footballer, who played internationally for the United States.

Joe Baker's mother was Scottish. His father, George, born in Woolton, was a sailor. When living in New York, Joe's elder brother, Gerry, was born in 1938. After the outbreak of World War 2, the family moved to Liverpool when George volunteered for the Merchant Marines. George survived his boat being torpedoed but soon after died from the injuries he received. The family then evacuated to Motherwell in Scotland, just six weeks after Joe's birth and this is where the Baker brothers spent the rest of their childhood.

A centre forward, Baker spent a month on trial with Chelsea as a youngster, but was not signed.

In 1961, Baker was transferred to Torino for £75,000, after the Hibs board refused to give him a £5 increase from his existing wage of £12 a week. In three years at Forest, Baker scored 41 goals in 118 league games.

Baker then moved to Sunderland for a fee of £30,000, and spent the following two seasons playing for the Black Cats. He made his England debut against Northern Ireland in 1959, which made him the first professional player to be capped for England while playing for a club outside the English football league system. It also meant that he was the first player to play for England without having ever played for an English club (Owen Hargreaves was the next player to do this, in 2001). Baker won eight caps for the senior England side, five while he was playing for Hibs and three while with Arsenal.

Baker later became Albion Rovers manager on two occasions, but never pursued a full coaching career, instead running a pub and working for Hibernian's hospitality service. He died at the age of 63, after suffering a heart attack during a charity golf tournament, dying in Wishaw General Hospital soon after.