MNF Extra: Jonny Evans on playing for Sir Alex and his taxi to Sunderland!

0:28Johnny Evans, our special guest. 298 appearances for United, six major trophies, three Premier League titles. In total, eight major trophies, 538 club appearances, plus the fourth most capped player in Northern Ireland's history. 107 caps. And every minute of four games at Euro 2016, which must have been very special. Johnny, what a career. Thank you. That is. I love it when you put a career up like that. And it is so impressive. The numbers are so big. How much pride does that fill you in? Huge pride, first of all. And I think it's... I often think back, you know, when you're a kid and you just think it's like a bit of a dream.

1:09And now you're at the end of it and you're like, did that really happen? I suppose that's kind of the phase I'm in at this moment in time. My career's just come to an end and I'm sort of going back. I'm not one for looking back and reminiscing too much, but there's little moments that come to you and you're like, oh, that was incredible, what I just experienced. and I suppose you're always looking for what's next. Can you replicate something as good? What are those things that come to your mind when you're thinking like that? Just being a Man United fan growing up. As a kid growing up and then going on playing over 200 games for them.

1:44How old were you when you first had that connection with Manchester United? From really, really young. My dad and all my family were all Man United fans. And I think growing up in Northern Ireland, you're either Liverpool or Man United. in your appearance it's just on the match 645 career games if there's one game that sort of stands out that you could go back to and relive play again that really stands out for you there's probably a couple and they're probably I'd probably say my debut we lost that night my debut for Man United because it was such a big moment and we got knocked out of the cup against Coventry which was a bit of a bit of a killer blow at that time because you think I'd been at Sunderland on loan played against Coventry, I think, in the championship that year and then come back and you play for Man Utd and you lose and you think, oh, this is terrible.

2:35But I think probably out of them all, playing the Euros and beating Ukraine with Northern Ireland was the best feeling I've ever had in a game. But also with Leicester, winning the FA Cup with Leicester. Yeah. Which is a bit of a shame because there was only about 20 ,000 people that were out of the game because it was one of the first games back after COVID where they were allowing crowds in. so a lot of my family didn't get to go to it so to win the FA Cup against all odds against Chelsea with Leicester if I could go back and have all my family already experienced that would have been incredible yeah that would have been amazing so what age were you when you signed for Manchester United?

3:15Officially No let's have the unofficial so I came across when I was I came across a little bit earlier than I was 15 at the time when I moved across and my whole family actually made the decision to move to England so that it could relocate closer to the club. I mean, that's some commitment. We don't think about that a lot. What sort of families go through and what they sort of... Not sacrifice. I mean, obviously, the boys going to Manchester United, but clubs don't normally do that for players. So they must have thought you were a very special, special player. Because obviously the club have to pay for that relocate, I'm sure, put you in a house and things like that.

3:54So they must have thought you were a really special talent as a youngster. I've been coming across to United since I was 10. And the rule changed when the introduction of the academy football sort of came in. The rules changed. We had to live within an hour and a half. So I could no longer come from about the age of 12, 13. And my mum and dad obviously thought I had a great chance of going on to become... And United did too. But I suppose a situation arose where my dad had lost his job. My mum wasn't working so they thought, what are we going to do? And we thought, we'll go to England and give myself a chance, but also my brother who was starting to get...

4:33Corey had a great career as well. Corey as well. So the both of us, they give us a great platform to be able to go on and have great careers. And your dad got a little scouting job. He did, actually. He drove the minibus. Yeah, honestly. Every good player's dad gets a scouting job. Every one. He was a minibus driver. Well, someone was scouting you and that was Sunderland because obviously you'd been around Manchester United for quite a few years before you got this first opportunity in English football when Roy Keane went there. So you were telling us right at the start of the show that he was a big idol of yours.

5:05So how did it feel when Roy got in touch? I mean, did he call you straight away? I mean, that's not a man you say no to, is it? Do you know what? I'd been on loan at Antwerp. United had a bit of a connection with Antwerp where a lot of the players have been going there. And I think, I don't actually really know how the move came about, but they got in contact to say that, I think they'd been in touch with the club beforehand and Roy obviously had a bit of a falling out with Sir Alex, so I don't know how that sort of materialised where he still allowed me to go alone to something at the time. I think Roy tells a story about that.

5:41I think, I'm just recollecting, I hope I've got this right, I'm sure Roy's watching, that I think Manchester United played them in a game and obviously having a drink afterwards you know with the managers and I think Alex Ferguson I'm sure he said to me that he sort of mentioned he tried to help Roy and you were maybe one of the players that just come to me I hope I've got that right but I recollect Roy mentioning that story that Alex Ferguson mentioned you trying to help him So I actually like I said I was on Antwerp and they had a winter break in Belgium so he'd come back on about just before Christmas and it was a one-way ticket back to Manchester so they said you're not you're not coming back to Antwerp you're gonna go on to the championship and that's whenever I first heard of the interest from Sunderland then at that time and I'd actually been Roy had invited me up via someone at the club does Johnny want to come up and watch think we're playing Preston in a league match right about the Christmas period but I couldn't say until the window opened in January.

6:45So I went up and on my way up, my car broke down. So I ended up jumping in a taxi, made my way to the stadium, watched the game. I think Roy actually forgot I was there. So I'm going around asking people, being like, I'm here to see Roy Keaton. And I think a few people are probably thinking, who is this kid? But anyway, I ended up going into his office and Neil Bailey, who ended up becoming assistant at the time, drove me back to Manchester. he was living in Manchester at the time and when I did sign then on the I think I signed around about the 2nd of January Roy Keane actually came picked me up at the house and drove me up to Sunderland so I had no car to get back up to Sunderland so he came and picked me up drove me up so for me having two, three hours in the car with Roy Keane was it was like a dream come true and then he was my manager but you did brilliantly for him so he gets you back the next season but you're in a stronger position there are you?

7:39I know where you're going negotiating come on what's the truth Johnny what's the truth I remember having the conversation with him he makes a good point I think he got the figures inflated a little but no I'd gone back to Sunderland the second time we were in the Premier League and they tried to get me back and I negotiated a bit of a better deal the story is you've read his book that is true you've read his autobiography it is true yeah and he said in the book you've got to get everything you can when you're a player. And is that true? It's 100 % true. I remember standing in the bedroom when he called me thinking, am I going to say this?

8:18And I said it. And I knew that he was, it was never a question about the money. I know like, I was desperate to go back to Southerland but I think I was being cheeky and just threw it in there. And I probably walked back at the time because I wasn't really playing at United and I'd loved my time at Southerland before that. Did you actually have an agent at that time? No. Doesn't sound like he needs one. Some of the young players around that era were sort of leaning on Gary Neville a little bit. That's true, yeah. Were you one of those? So I'd come back to United after my second spell at Sunderland and Gaz, I think I'd seen Gaz, we might have been in the swimming pool area, just outside.

8:57I can remember saying to him, Gaz, I knew Sunderland would come in for me, they'd put a bid in and I was thinking, I wanted to go back and play. I bumped into Roy actually in the village close to where we lived and he said I'll put a bit in for you. So I went and knocked on Sir Alex's door and I said by the way Sunderland I know they've put a bit in for me but I'd like to go. And he threw it straight back onto me, well you've been tapped up so he put me right on the back. So I went to see Gaz and I said to Gaz, Gaz look I'd love to go back to Sunderland. he says I'll go and speak to the manager for you so I'm waiting downstairs at the bottom of the stairs and he went up five minutes later he came back and he said you're going nowhere

9:43Gary Neville fired as the agent he was fired but after that that gave me good confidence because I knew then that Sir Alex wanted me to stay and be properly part of the first team at the club but probably one of the reasons why it was tough to get in because Manchester United had great centre-backs there and I'm thinking about you know Rio and Vidic you know arguably the best probably centre-back partnership we've ever seen in the Premier League what was it like trying to get into them and how much help did they give you what was it like playing with them they were brilliant with me and I suppose I'd come back from Sunderland and I'm thinking I'm miles away from Man Utd's first team but then through I think there was an injury to one of them right early on in the season and I ended up playing and I was thinking I'm actually a lot closer than what I think here and each time you know to be fair to Sir Alex, he would throw me in and he would play me a lot of games.

10:32I think my first season back after I'd been alone at Sunderland, I ended up playing close to 30 games, which was a big surprise for me. But playing alongside Rio, Virich, I mean, two world-class centre-backs. So I was constantly trying to learn, often ask questions. And that's probably how I did most of my learning, probably similar to yourself, you know, in terms of playing alongside good players. You're always trying to pick things up from them. And what did you get from Sir Alex in terms of coaching and learning? I think one of his biggest things was he let everyone be themselves. He always encouraged you to play your own game and express yourself.

11:08Play the game how you know how to play it. And that's probably one of the biggest things I take from him. His leadership, his leadership in itself, letting go of control and letting players do what they do. I think he likes having players with all different abilities and different skill sets that he could use. He didn't want every player to be the same. He wanted variety in his team. And I think for that reason, that's why he just let people be themselves. You've mentioned those two, world-class centre-backs, Vidic and Rio. If we could pin you to one, it could be any one, but I mean, who's the favourite player you enjoy playing alongside?

11:44I had different spills with both of them at different times. And there were times I'd be playing with Rio and it'd be like, because Rio was so calm and he was composed. He didn't shout too much. He was very, you know, you could play alongside him and read the game easy. And then other times I'd play with Vittich, when you're playing against teams and they're throwing the ball in the box and he was just an animal hitting the ball and he was aggressive and he was leading the team in a real sort of like proper old school defending way. So there was both sides. If I could probably edge, I'd probably say Rio more for the calmness side of it and sort of playing alongside him.

12:18That was your favourite partner then. What about the hardest opponents that you faced? Not just when you were at Manchester United. I'd go straight to Suarez. At Liverpool he was... I'd probably go Suarez, Di Rogba and Aguero. Over the years I'd probably say those three probably stand out more than the others. Suarez was a some player, when he was at Liverpool, I think for probably a five, three or four year period, he was probably the best striker in the world that last year at Liverpool and what he did with Barcelona. He was fantastic, wasn't he? He just never knew what you were going to get with him.

12:52He'd bobble the balls through your legs, he'd do everything. He was strong, brave. I thought he was a real handful. And obviously you're playing against him every day in training, but I'm a different perspective. Jamie taught him everything. Yeah. The dark hearts. What was the players you played with? Obviously we've mentioned centre-backs, but in terms of, you know, outfield players. I always thought schools and gigs were on another level to the rest of the team. even though we had world class players I felt like they were like on a their IQ was just a little bit higher than everyone else's Everyone mentions Scoles you don't especially players who played with him I played with him a little bit for England didn't know him as much as you but I think when you play with someone it's not just the games it's the everyday training stuff isn't it Well them two and I throw Giggs in there too because Giggs was like I thought he was genius in his own way but both of them would do things more on the training pitch than anything that they would do things and you'd just be like I didn't even know that existed.

13:48And I'll never be able to get to that level. It's just on a different level. We saw a list of the managers you played under before. It's quite a list, actually. It's a real collection of talent on there. So Alex Ferguson, I'm guessing, would be top of that for you. But who would have been for you the other ones that would have stood out there? You go by names. You'd probably say Van Gaal was another one because he was the total opposite to Sir Alex. We talk about players being themselves. He was out with it. He wanted to... I learned so much from what he had to say and opened my eyes to a different way of playing football.

14:25In terms of tactics or your own game? No, your own game. Well, both, you know, the tactical side of the game, but also like, you know, in terms of like the detail in the past and really like analysing it. And sometimes some players find it a bit too much. I was only, I only had a year with them, but I feel like the stuff that I had with them, I was able to take for the rest of my career and sort of... It sounds like when you speak about Sir Alex, and a lot of people speak about this because he probably wasn't on the training ground every day, whereas there wasn't so much the coaching element from Sir Alex.

14:55But then you bring Ivan Gallin, and it's that like where you're getting drilled every day, coached every day. It was a total opposite, a total different end of the spectrum. And then obviously then when I went to West Brom under Tony Pulis, which was a completely different style of playing football and great for a defender. It's coming back. It is, four centre-backs. I played left-back. Was that also an interesting learning experience for you? It was because you're playing a certain way at Manchester United. I've had a little bit of experience, I suppose, playing international football in Northern Ireland.

15:21You're defending deep a lot, defending your box. But, you know, Tony, 99 % of games you'll be on the edge of your box. And it was like proper... I learned so much in terms of how to defend. And I experimented a lot in my own game because I was trying to learn. But what was it? I mean, obviously we've looked at all the clubs. You've been a fantastic career. But you're a Man United fan. you've been very successful at United, you'd end up moving on from United. Was it tough to leave? No. How did you leave? Not at all. I mean, my wife actually said to me, she said not that long ago, a few years ago, she said, oh, that was, you found it tough leaving.

16:00I didn't feel like I did at the time. I actually felt like I was ready to go and try something new. I'd had my experience at Sunderland. So I knew that going and playing it, you could go to other clubs and have that experience of enjoying it. and Darren Fletcher just made the move to West Brom. So he was convinced me to go to West Brom to leave. So I felt like everything... Tapped up again? I was tapped up. Fletcher said, I'll drive you up and down every morning. So it was great. And I love my time at West Brom. But the first two seasons was, for me, going from a position at United, I hadn't played too much.

16:35I'd had a suspension, a few injury problems. I went to West Brom and Tony Pulis, to be fair, he was just playing me every game. He played me through everything and just I enjoyed that experience of maybe, I suppose, being one of the main players and just playing. You know that as soon as you're coming back or whatever you do, you're starting. So you had these great experiences and you talk about Leicester winning the FA Cup there with Brendan Rodgers, a couple of seasons there. But how special was it going back to Manchester United, almost to sort of bookend your career? I mean, I suppose like finishing it off like that is like, it's another dream.

17:13I suppose like, did that happen? It is, but I suppose it is a little bit. And it was totally out of blue. It was nothing I ever expected or... How did it come about? I mean, I did. I fletched again. I ran fletched. I'd left Leicester. We'd just been relegated. And I actually wanted to stay on at Leicester, but they never called me back. But I ended up getting a point. It was getting close to the pre-season. Everyone's going back in for pre-season. I thought, I've never trained on my own. I've never been one to go out and do runs. You're always in a team environment. And I thought, I'm going to go out and run around the park.

17:47So I gave Fletcher a ring. And I thought, I wonder, can I go in and trim with the reserve team? And he said, yeah, come in next Monday. So they got to like the Friday. And he said, by the way, you're 10 hags. Heard you're coming in. Because I played against United. I actually think I played quite well earlier on in the season against United in the league. He's heard you're training. we want you to come through with the first team. And a lot of the lads had been away on international duties, so they were coming back later for pre-season. And the more training sessions I was playing, I was thinking, I'm actually not too far away here.

18:18I feel my fitness getting better and sharper. Then they asked me, do you want to come on pre-season? So I went on the pre-season tour, and I started getting a bit of a sniff. I think something's happening here that I didn't know about, but maybe they're having an idea, they're wanting to look at me. And by the time I come back from pre-season, and they then offered me a contract and asked me to stay on. And at that point, I thought, I'll stay. If I get five games or three games or one game, it'll be like a great story. And by the end of that season, I think it was close to maybe 30 games again.

18:51Amazing. And finishing with an FA Cup as well. Yes, FA Cup. Which is great. I forgot about that. It's not a bad one, is it? No, I mean, coming on against Man City, I'd actually gone to the FA Cup final the year before when City had actually been United had gone down as a fan to watch the game so to then sort of be on a winning team playing in the final for the club was incredible What next? I don't know I mean I've got a job at United looking after the loan players Not after tonight Which is I know I've got what is there I call them So we've got that sort of side of the game learning about the sort of different aspects of the loans which I've quite enjoyed and I've learned a lot doing that and obviously I don't know I'm not too sure I'm not trying to look too far ahead Doing your coaching badges Doing my coaching badges and seeing where that takes me as well Had an experience of media This is my new experience of media It's been great How have you because I think that is the decision for us all when we finish we want to stay in the game do we go down the coaching road do we go down the media road you've just started your badges this is the first media I think you've done a bit of a show how have you found tonight how have you found coaching if you enjoyed tonight could you see that as a future as well?

20:08I've enjoyed I really have enjoyed it thank you to you two for making me feel feel welcome but I mean I think you always feel like you do have to stay in the game I suppose like I think what I've realised is I went straight into it you know the club offered me a job and I've learnt a lot you realise that like there's so many different aspects of football of life where you can sort of go into so I've never felt pressured to do anything I still don't feel pressured to do anything So I just want to take a bit of time and probably just go with the flow a little bit for a while and enjoy certain aspects of things.

20:42So 650 games for you. Corey's just finished as well this summer. My brother's retired, yeah. He must have played 400 or 500 games as well, I think. So that was, for me, playing alongside my brother in the international stage was more enjoyable than anything. And obviously, Corey, he was captain of Sunderland as well when they were promoted from League One in the playoffs. so being able to go and watch him at Wembley, that was a real proud moment for... I probably got more enjoyment than to watch my brother play football than I did myself in a weird way. You probably get that now, watching your son.

21:15Yeah, but when you think, you know, two sons playing for the national team, how proud your parents and your family must have been. Absolutely. What a credit to your family, both of you as well. Not just the football you played, but two smashing boys as well, which is arguably even more important. Johnny, thank you very much for being with us tonight. Loved your company. Thank you very much.

21:38Hi there, Sui Ngolem here, the host of the Essential EFL Podcast from Sky Sports. We're well into the swing of the season now and the action is hotting up nicely across the Championship League One and League Two. On the pod, I chat with the Sky Sports EFL experts every week about the latest games and big talking points from across all three leagues. So if you're a fan of an EFL club or if you just want to keep up to date with what's going on in the Football League, search for Essential EFL and give us a follow.