KOA special - Lee Evans on spell at Ipswich Town and returning to Portman Road

0:07Ross Halls:Hello everybody, it's me Roscoe and welcome to the latest episode of the Kings of Anglia Ishram's Town podcast special series where we catch up with former town players, discuss their time at the club and today we have a special guest in former town midfielder Lee Evans who is speaking and coming to Portman Road for the first time since his departure from the club back in 2024 as his Blackpool team take on Kieran McKenna's side in the FA Cup third round. And I thought this was a perfect opportunity to catch up with Lee to discuss his time in the club. And we spoke about a range of different memories during his time at Portman Road.

0:40Ross Halls:Of course, he was one of the 19 signings during that hectic demolition summer by Paul Cook. Of course, reuniting with his former Wigan manager, we spoke about his relationships with him that summer as a whole. Then his early days at the club, those struggles, wearing a captain's armband, And of course, we had to speak about that memory of that hat-trick he scored, his first career hat-trick in that 6-0 win against Doncaster Rovers at Portman Road. And that knee slide, of course, we had to speak about that. Really good memories of that. Then Kieran McKenna coming in, his relationship with him. And then, unfortunately, injury setbacks, which was a frustrating time for him.

1:15I sort of said in the chat, I always felt they came at the wrong time.

1:18Ross Halls:He was in great form, playing really well, and then gets injured. But we spoke about that. Some regrets on surgery and all that jazz. Really good chat about that. And then leaving the club, of course, he was very much part of that League One promotion winning team. And then he left midway through that championship promotion team as well. Of course, went on to sign for Portsmouth and won his fourth promotion from League One with them. But yeah, he hasn't had an opportunity to say goodbye to the town fans since he left because he left during that halfway through that campaign. But really good memories with Lee.

1:49Ross Halls:Spoke about him returning to Portland Road with Blackpool this weekend. future plans as well with coaching and just generally his life in Suffolk, which he really did enjoy with his family. So I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did. Let's get right into it. Hope you enjoy. Let's go. Well, Lee, thank you very much for joining me. It's great to catch up. How's things up in Blackpool? Yeah, no, it's really good. Yeah, nice to speak to you. Yeah, things are going, things are going okay. It's not been a fantastic season for us at Blackpool, But, yeah, we've got a new manager now and hopefully things will start looking up for us.

2:27Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely, mate. And, of course, we're playing each other. It's just town, Blackpool in the FA Cup third round. I want to get your reaction on that. I'm sure a lot of former players, just in general, when they see the draw, they want to see who they're going to get. Sometimes you want a big tie. But I'm sure when you saw It's just town at home, a return on Porton Road, I'm sure you had a nice little smile because that would be your first return back to Suffolk. Yeah, no, definitely. I think I was the only person at the club who was happy with the draw, to be honest. I think everyone wanted, I don't know, your Man United, your Arsenal, your City's.

3:00But yeah, one of them would have been nice. But I think when I saw the draw, I was thinking, yeah, like you said, a big smile. Looking forward to it. I haven't been back yet. And yeah, so it'll be nice to be back.

3:16Ross Halls:Definitely, man. Yeah, reuniting with Kieran McKenna and co. Of course, there's probably not as many familiar faces as they were a few years back. I think there's only a few in the squad. Leif Davis, who else is there? Christian Walton, the goalkeeper, of course. And yeah, I'm trying to think who else potentially. Colin Chaplin's at Portsmouth on loan now. Yeah, Wes back from injury. Wes will be there. And then, yeah, like you said, I think a lot of the staff are still the same as well. so it'd be nice to see them. Definitely, mate. I want to now take you back because it's nearly five years ago since you joined town during that crazy, crazy summer of 2021.

3:57Ross Halls:19 signings. You're one of them. I've got a picture of you holding a scarf at Portman Road. Show you. There you are, my friend, young Lee Evans. Yeah, look at that. Yeah. Take you back to that because you're really not with Paul Cook but can you remember the day you come into Portman Road in signing for the club yeah no i can to be honest because i had just uh finished my contract with wigan uh and then they had offered me a contract as well so i was i'm in an hour in between the two clubs and what really did make my mind up was when i got down to ipswich uh yeah got to the area got to the stadium got to the training ground and i just thought yeah this is the place i think for me so yeah it was a it was a manic day it was it was a busy day but uh because I'm sure I had the manager at the time on me from Wigan like trying to get my decision so yeah it was it was a manic day but it was a it was the right decision I think for me I think I made the right decision for me and my family in the end yeah definitely yeah moving away as well coming to Suffolk because a long way away from Wigan especially um and yeah re-annoying as I say with Paul Cook and that was a crazy summer.

5:14Ross Halls:I just want to take you back to that. Can you remember that? You know, sometimes coming to the dressing room and you're one of the new faces, but you're one of the lots of new faces. How was that? Yeah, no, it was good. I obviously was lucky. I knew the manager. I knew some of his staff. So from that point of view, it was a little bit easier for me. But like you said, the amount of players we had trying to get it to gel straight away was always going to be tricky. So yeah, it was a tough pre-season, I remember. But yeah, it was about trying to get that teamwork and trying to get everyone on the same page and how the manager wanted to play and things like that.

5:57So yeah, it was a tough pre-season bringing that many players in, but I'm sure that's what the manager knew he was going to be.

6:04Ross Halls:Yeah, because I can imagine that was potentially told when you signed that, yeah, we're going to be making a lot of new signings because he was rebuilding the squad. He sort of did the demolition summer where he got rid of course a lot of players and he brought in players you know was that one of the conversations that you can remember like yeah we are going to be making a lot of signings? Yeah no it was and I think it was a couple of days before I think I seen Wes had signed I knew Wes obviously from when I played for Wales under 21s with him when I was younger so I knew that was obviously a good signing and he's gone on and obviously he's done fantastic for the club and the club have done great for him so yeah it was a chat the manager said a lot of new players coming through the door.

6:43He knew, I knew how he wanted to play and he wanted me then to try and be one of the leaders in the group and to try and show them exactly what he wanted. And that was what I tried to do.

6:54Ross Halls:Yeah, just have a quick look. So yeah, it was Wes, then it was Rakim, then Vaz signed on the 28th. And you were, actually the same day, you signed with Matt Penny. So that was, yeah. How many is that through the door already? That's five through the door. And then, yeah, July was a busy month. Then August was just mental. and then that's hard I can imagine as a team you know you're getting new players in you start the season it was a bit of an early struggle wasn't it um what can you remember for that you're wearing the captain's armband I'm sure that was a proud moment you know wearing the armband again for for you know big club like Trish Town yeah no it was I didn't remember the first day I think it was Morecambe at home on it the first day of the season I remember walking out just the noise I was like this is a proper football club.

7:37This is, it was a very, very proud day, as you said. Yeah, I just remember the noise when we came out. And I think rightly, personally, I think I played quite well that game. So it was a good start, but as a collective, we didn't manage to get the win. But yeah, I just remember it being a, it was a good day. I think it was a feel-good factor back at the club. And yeah, so it was just, it was a good day all around.

8:05Ross Halls:Yeah, good thing about that. I think that was the first time fans could be in a stadium with a full capacity because that's when, you know, COVID sort of restrictions were going down. So I think that's the first time we had a foolish Portman road, which was great. And I just realised, just missed a player on the list. That's Macaulay Bond. Of course, it's his lad. He scored on his debut that scored at late equaliser. So he was the sixth player in that early sort of stage of the transfer window. And yeah, there were early struggles. I'm sure you can admit to that. But yeah, the word was time to gel.

8:34Ross Halls:What was that like as a player? Like, OK, you've not started so well yet to win. Players are still coming through the door. Yeah, it was... I think we had the belief in the squad. We knew we were signing good players. We were getting good players for the league through the door. It was, as you said, it was that, trying to get us to gel, trying to get us all on the same page of how we want to play because I think you'll see with any club, you can just sign the best player. It doesn't just work like that. you have to be the best team. So, yeah, he was trying to get us to play better together as a team rather than just individuals.

9:12And, yeah, it was always going to take time. But I think I can remember from the fixture list, looking back, we had a nice run in to start. So it would have been, we really did need to pick up a few more points at the start. But like the manager said, and I think the players knew, it was always going to be a little bit tricky at the start.

9:31Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely. And I want to quickly talk about Paul Cook because he's obviously a massive character, you know, a big part of your career. You know, he signs you, you know, at Wigan, now it's just town. I'm always just fascinated about his voice cracks. Did he voice crack in the dressing room when, you know, because he's just shouting for days. But yeah, just it changes all the time, doesn't it? Yeah, no, it does. I think he's a meme when he does it on the internet and all. But yeah, no, he's a really good, really good guy. Yeah, like you said, he's been a big part of my career. He's brought me to Wigan on a number of occasions and then brought me down to Ipswich.

10:10Yeah, I'll always be thankful for him for showing that trust in me. Yeah, he's a good manager who's obviously earned plenty of promotions up and down the leagues. And I think he's still going well now at Chesterfield. He's looking for another promotion there.

10:26Ross Halls:So, yeah, I've only got good things to say about Paul Cook as a man and as a manager. Yeah, unfortunately it didn't work out with him. But yeah, I think the town fans still think of him fondly a little bit because just him as a character and stuff. And at the end of the day, he brought in a lot of players, especially one man, that is Sam Orsey, who went on to, of course, captain the club to back-to-back promotions. You played with him at Wigan as well, rear-knocking with him. What was that like? Yeah, no, it was good. Obviously a good player who's had, as you say, again, a good career and done really well for Ipswich Town.

11:00And then, yeah, moved on not long ago. But, yeah, no, it was obviously, I think you could see there, the manager was trying to not quite get his Wigan team, but get players that he knew could play his system, could do what he wanted. And, yeah, I think that was what he was trying to do. So, yeah, it was another good signing in the door.

11:19Ross Halls:Yeah, I can remember the day where, well, you probably don't want to remember it because we lost 5-2 against Bolton at home. And I remember Paul Cook coming out of the press conference saying, we won't have that sort of performance when Morsy's in the team. and of course that's when we went on to beat Lincoln at home and then two games later you score your hat trick my friend against Doncaster 6-0 win want to hear your memories, got a picture of you about to do your knee slide there you are my friend just your memories of that night because that was a great night and I felt like that was a proper lift off moment for the team getting a big win and your first career hat trick No it was, I think it'll be my first and probably my last as well to be honest yeah an amazing night I just remember I think we had Sheffield Wednesday the game before and I had I didn't play with a tight hamstring and I remember going in to the manager and saying no I think I'll be alright he was like are you sure because I think if I'm right Idris played and he played quite well as well he came in and played well he was like you need to be right if I'm going to drop him for the next game so I was like yeah I'll be fine and yeah look I don't it's tough to explain I'm very grateful when I score one goal never mind three so it was a night I'll always remember a night I'll always cherish yeah just probably one of my favourite nights ever in football Yeah and there's a lot of fans and I still do when I watch, if I see a clip of that and just see your knee slide that is the best knee slide I've ever seen just talk us through it No, it was a nice greasy pitch I think I timed it perfectly and I think it stopped just before the grass turns into the Astros so yeah, no I summed up my night to be honest perfect three goals, I think one was a header, I haven't scored many of them header, volley and then yeah, the last one barring in nice flight to finish it off it was a perfect night Yeah it is perfect and yeah brilliant win for the team and do you of course when you get a hatchet you get the match ball have you been able to keep that and where do you put it?

13:33Yeah no I've got it we haven't long moved house so it's in the garage at the minute but yeah he'll be getting in a nice glass box yeah he'll be something I'll definitely cherish the messages on there yeah a few of the lads had a couple of jokes on there for me for missing the game before and then coming back to that one so yeah I look back on very fondly and I won't be letting the kids play football with it, I'll be keeping that one special

13:59Ross Halls:Definitely, well that'll be one day where you see your kids playing football in the garden and going oh they've got a new ball and then you realise, oh no Yeah, because dad won't be getting too many of them hat-trick balls, I know that Definitely, but yeah, big moment and unfortunately that was then up and down still and then yeah, of course Paul gets the sack, what was that like as a play and someone you've known for a long time losing his job? Yeah, no, it was tough. It's never nice when you see anyone lose their job, especially the connection and the relationship I had with him. Yeah, it was tough for us to take.

14:39Yeah, it wasn't a nice feeling. So I think we knew as players we had let him down a little bit. So we just knew them as a team and as players. we had to come together and try and sort our format. Luckily, we got the genius through the door, Kieran McKenna is. The rest of it, obviously, is history.

15:02Ross Halls:Did you know much about Kieran and who was going to come in at that stage? John Reguil, obviously, is a caretaker for a while. As players, you know a little bit. Did you know much about Kieran McKenna? No, I can't say that many of us did, to be fair. I think you'd speak to your agent, you'd be thinking who's going to be getting the job, do you know? I think there was going to be loads of names linked with it. And obviously Kieran probably wasn't one of the ones a lot of players would have known. But yeah, he obviously came with a big reputation from Man United. Yeah, it was probably not a risk, but it was his first step in management.

15:46so he had to make sure it was the right club and the right fit for him. It was perfect for us as players and us as a club.

15:55Ross Halls:He got appointed a day after the Barrow replay game, which was not a good evening. I think you missed out on that one. I've got to thank John McGrill for that one. He gave me the night off. I can just say thanks to John. I remember watching that on the telly. I just felt, to be fair, all the fans who had gone to watch that, that was that was a tough night and yeah as you said the next day thankfully we had some good news after it yeah i think um there's a i think kieran's mentioned this about apparently his dad told him went are you sure i've been watching the barrett game um and then yeah kieran comes in and um you know what was your relationship with him you know of course he was younger no no he wasn't younger than you i'm putting your age but he's probably not as you know older than some other managers you have played under you know he's he's still you know an age where he could have been playing football still, but because of injuries, you know, stopped his career.

16:47Ross Halls:But, yeah, what was your relationship like with him as a whole? No, brilliant. I've only got amazing things to say about him, not just as a manager, as a man as well. The way he looked after me towards the end of my time at Ipswich. But, yeah, at the start, I just, yeah, he was just brilliant. He was just something completely different to what we had seen, to what I had seen before, just his methods, his way of training. his communication, just everything. He's just, as soon as you saw him get to work on the grass, you just thought, well, we've got a serious coach here who's going to do obviously really good things.

17:26And yeah, he has gone to. So yeah, no, he was fantastic. It was just, I think, just what the club needed.

17:33Ross Halls:Yeah. And a lot of players have said that sometimes the training is more competitive than the game sometimes. And I'm sure, yeah, you're knackered after training. You're like, we've got a match after this. No, a million percent. He was the first coach where we would train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So you knew that Tuesday and Wednesday you were getting blasted. If there was no midweek game, you were getting flogged the Tuesday and Wednesday. And like we all would say, the games then just took care of themselves. They were much easier than the tempo. In training, he would put on us. Yeah, training was tough.

18:11and unfortunately I picked up a few injuries in my time there and didn't quite get the full rewards of the training because it was probably one of the best training schedules and the methods and all that I've been involved in.

18:28Ross Halls:I think that's one of the frustrations with Town fans because I think they loved you as a player. They always felt you were a diamond in that midfield but just injuries always came at the wrong time, it seemed. As a player, injuries happen, but yourself, I'm sure you were frustrated with that. Because there were times where I was like, yeah, Lee's back. And then you get another injury issue. Take us back to that because I'm sure it was a frustrating time. Yeah, no, it was. Especially, as you said, when the manager was in. And I could just see the team going in one place and I was fit. I was playing well.

19:03Really happy with my form. knowing that with this manager we were only going to go up so it was just yeah I remember the first one I think I'd done when he was there it was the 92nd minute against Burton just gone in to a tackle and just thought why have you gone in for that kind of thing and it would always be the same injury it was always the MCL injury so that's the inside of your knee so it was always that in tackles I think there was a lot of times I'd think just stop tackling, just stand people up, just don't bother, it's not worth it. Because it's a dark place and then you're out for a couple of months and you see the team flying.

19:46It's tough, it is tough because you know if you're fit you'll be playing, you'll be part of them good times. So yeah, it was tricky but then I'd always work as hard as I could, do whatever I could for the club without being on the pitch. whatever I could do off the pitch as well. I'd try and do everything I could. And yeah, get back and then unfortunately we'd go again. But yeah, maybe I should have, back in hindsight now, I would have had the operation a little bit earlier, probably the time before, and then maybe would have had a better crack at it than in that championship year.

20:19Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely. Back-to-back sort of seasons, it was in February and you sort of missed that sort of running of that one season. We'd finished 11th, it was a bit of a damp squid in the end. but the League One promotion, you know, you'll still get a lot of praise for that season because you play so many games as well. You just missed that final bit of it. But what was that like just, you know, being part of another team, another League One promotion on your level? You did it at Portsmouth as well. So I think you're up there, aren't you? Like four or five, you know, promotions from League One.

20:46Yeah, the Portsmouth one was a nice touch. When I left, I was, yeah, two months going to join top of the league and I was like, yeah, no, that's fine. That sounds good to me. Get a medal and then come back up the road. But no, as you said, yeah, it would just seem when I was playing, I think that League One year where we got promoted, that first 20, 25 games is probably the best run of form I've had in my career. So to get then the setback after that was probably the toughest one I had because I knew I was in the form of my life. The team were flying and things were only looking rosy and looking up.

21:25and yeah that's when unfortunately when football can get you when things are looking good but uh yeah then at least I could take that step back I think I remember the last the last few games of the season and just sitting there in the crowd just I'd just take it all in I'd be looking around the crowd looking just a pure emotion and the pure yeah just happiness and yeah I knew that I played my part so yeah I couldn't be too disappointed to not actually be out on the pitch then as well.

21:55Ross Halls:Yeah, definitely. And of course, that was an incredible season, as you say. You know, 100 goals, 101 goals, not eight points. We just missed out on 100 points, 100 goals, and Plymouth pipped us to the title. Yeah, I'm sure you would like that League One title winning medal, although you got it out of Wigan, so it's fine. But yeah, you got a big praise to Plymouth, you know. Fair play to them. They went on to do what they'd done. Yeah, no, they did. And to be fair, we've got Niall Ennis at Blackpool. So we have a joke. little bit and people i just say well people didn't even remember you lot and you lot won the league it was like it was always about us it was about ipswich the way we played it was and that was that's a credit obviously to the manager and all the coaching staff but yeah that was just a running joke we'd have like no one even realized you won the league i think everyone thought we won the league very true and oh especially like it's like leicester in the championship season because we did the blackout promotions people forget about that we went on to do that and And yeah, you of course start that season.