 From Tallaght Baker was a graduate of Dublin youth clubs Marks Celtic and Stella Maris, before spending his late teens as a trainee at Manchester United.Baker enjoyed a fruitful career at youth level, winning the and Youth League with Manchester United and numerous schoolboy international caps for Republic of Ireland.Baker played for the Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team in the 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship finals in Luxembourg and scored against Italy .