Jonathan Grant "Jonny" Evans (born 2 January 1988) is a
Northern Irish footballer who plays as a
defender for
Manchester United and
Northern Ireland. Evans was born in
Belfast and started his career at Greenisland FC, where he was spotted by Manchester United scouts. He progressed through
Manchester United's football Academy to play in several foreign tours in the summer of 2006. He then went on loan to
Royal Antwerp and had two spells with
Sunderland. He made his Manchester United first team debut in the
2007–08 League Cup, becoming a regular first-team squad member the following season.
Career
Evans was scouted while playing for Greenisland FC, the same club that his 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 an hour and a half of the club, so Evans' opportunities were limited. However, the Evans family soon relocated to Manchester, allowing Jonny to train with Manchester United full-time. Evans 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...
Read More