[3] After having been on the fringes of the first team and spending time on loan at Tranmere Rovers, he rejected a new contract in 2012 in order to find regular football elsewhere.

After a three-year period in Yorkshire interrupted by suspensions, he was released and had a spell without a club before Everton signed him again in 2017 to rebuild his career in their reserve squad.

[6][4] He remained as a youth player until 2008 when he trained with the first-team squad on tours to Switzerland and the United States two months after leaving school.

[13] Playing and scoring regularly, Baxter's form drew interest from other league clubs but in January 2013 he signed a new 2+1⁄2-year deal with Oldham.

[14] Baxter started the 2013–14 season as a first team regular, but a brace against Stevenage in a 4–3 opening day victory prompted renewed interest from other clubs in acquiring his services.

[16] With the arrival of Nigel Clough as United's manager, Baxter eventually began to cement his place in the first team, scoring six goals in the process, and was nominated for the League One 'Player of the Month' award for December 2013.

[17] He played in the semi-final of the 2013–14 FA Cup at Wembley Stadium and scored the opening goal, but opponents Hull City won the tie 5–3.

[21] In July, the FA handed him a five-month suspension (three of which suspended) for testing positive for ecstasy, which he claimed was ingested in a spiked drink.

[24][4] On 27 January 2017, Baxter was handed a lifeline by former club Everton who offered him a 12-month contract which would begin when his year-long suspension from football ended on 1 July 2017.