Jonny Evans

Jonathan Grant Evans (born 3 January 1988) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team.

Evans started his career at Manchester United and progressed through the club's academy.

He progressed through Manchester United's academy, featuring in two of the club's three games during the 2006 summer tour of South Africa, as well as domestic friendlies against Celtic and Preston North End, and in the Amsterdam Tournament against Ajax.

Alongside fellow youngsters Darron Gibson, Danny Simpson and Fraizer Campbell, Evans spent the first half of the 2006–07 season on loan at Manchester United's Belgian feeder club Royal Antwerp.

In December 2006, he agreed to join Sunderland on loan in the January transfer window until the end of the 2006–07 season, again along with Danny Simpson.

The pair helped Sunderland clinch the Championship title, with Evans winning the club's Youth Player of the Year award at the end of the season.

Sunderland manager Roy Keane was hopeful of re-signing Evans on another loan following their promotion to the Premier League, though United elected to keep him to push for a place in the first team.

He went on loan to Royal Antwerp and Sunderland to gain first-team experience before making his Manchester United first-team debut in the 2007–08 League Cup.

Evans made his Manchester United debut on 26 September 2007 against Coventry City in the League Cup which ended in a 2–0 defeat.

He then appeared as a late substitute for Gerard Piqué in a UEFA Champions League match at home to Dynamo Kyiv on 7 November 2007 to secure Manchester United's qualification to the knockout stage of the competition.

He subsequently made his first Champions League start on 12 December 2007 against Roma.

Evans ultimately rejoined Sunderland for a second loan spell on 4 January 2008, and was immediately drafted into the first team squad in a 3–0 loss to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.

He played the full 90 minutes but was criticised for Wigan's second goal of the game, prior to which he lost the ball on the edge of his own box, resulting in a deflected own goal by Paul McShane.

Making 15 league appearances, Evans helped Sunderland avoid relegation back to the Championship.

Evans made his league debut for United in a 1–1 draw with Chelsea on 21 September 2008, filling in for the suspended Nemanja Vidić.

In December 2008, Evans made two substitute appearances at the FIFA Club World Cup, including one in the final after Vidić was sent off shortly after half-time.

Evans continued to deputise throughout the rest of the season, appearing in a number of league games and in the League Cup final.

At the beginning of the 2010–11 football season, Evans became a regular fixture in the United team, partnering Vidić in the centre of defence in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand.

Evans made his 100th appearance for the Red Devils on 30 November, playing the full 120 minutes as United lost 2–1 to Championship side Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarter-final.

On 19 March 2011, Evans injured Bolton Wanderers midfielder Stuart Holden with a tackle which ruled Holden out initially for six months, though eventually caused the United States international to be sidelined for 22 months.

Despite Evans receiving a straight red card for the tackle, Manchester United went on to win the game 1–0 with a Dimitar Berbatov goal.

Before the start of the 2011–12 season, Evans was handed the number 6 shirt after Wes Brown was transferred to Sunderland.

On 18 March 2012, he scored his first goal for United, opening the scoring in a 5–0 league win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Evans missed the final three games of the season with a foot injury.

Having undergone surgery to repair an ankle injury at the end of the previous season, Evans was unable to commence his preseason training until early August.

Evans scored his second goal for the club in a 3–0 win away at Newcastle United on 7 October 2012, thumping home a header from a Robin van Persie corner.

On 23 October, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal and his first at Old Trafford, scrambling home from a corner kick the 2-2 equaliser in a 3–2 victory over Braga.

Evans netted his third goal of the season on 24 November 2012, heading in the equaliser from a corner to begin a 3–1 comeback victory against Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford.

On 21 December 2012, Evans signed a new contract with United which would keep him at the club until June 2016.

On 14 August, he wore his new shirt number for the first time in United's opening day 2–1 win at West Bromwich Albion, coming on for the injured Vidić in the 52nd minute at The Hawthorns.

On 23 October, he was sent off in United's 6–1 defeat against Manchester City after bringing down Mario Balotelli in a last-man challenge.

He became a regular first-team squad member the following season, playing almost 200 matches for Manchester United and winning three Premier League titles amongst a host of other honours in an eight-year spell; however, he fell out of favour at the club under manager Louis van Gaal and left for West Bromwich Albion in 2015.

After West Brom's relegation three years later, Evans signed for Leicester City, with whom he won the FA Cup in 2021.

Following Leicester City's relegation in 2023, Evans was released and returned to his former club Manchester United on a one-year contract.

Evans is the second-most decorated player in Northern Irish football history.

He has played over 100 matches for the Northern Ireland national team, and was ever-present in the team's run to the round of 16 at UEFA Euro 2016.

Evans was scouted while playing for Greenisland, the same club that his younger brother Corry and Craig Cathcart played for before moving to Manchester United.

At the age of nine, he was invited to attend the Manchester United Centre of Excellence in Belfast, before being invited for a trial in Manchester a year later.

Rule changes within The Football Association at the time meant that clubs were limited to players who lived within 90 minutes' travel of the club, so Evans' opportunities were limited.

However, his family soon relocated to Manchester, allowing Evans to train with Manchester United full-time.