Background and career
Eric Bertrand Bailly (French pronunciation: [eʁik bɛʁ.tʁɑ̃ baji]; born 12 April 1994) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew and the Ivory Coast national team. Although he mainly plays as a centre-back, he can also play as a right-back.
Bailly began his professional career at Spain's Espanyol, before transferring to Villarreal. He spent two seasons at the club, before signing for Manchester United in June 2016. Bailly made more than 100 appearances for United and had a loan spell at Marseille.
Bailly made his international debut for the Ivory Coast in 2015 and helped them win that year's Africa Cup of Nations. He played in two further African tournaments and the 2020 Olympics.
