1. Jonathan Grant Evans was born on 3 January 1988 and is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United.
30 Facts About Jonny Evans
1. 2.
Jonny Evans started his career at Manchester United and progressed through the club's academy.
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Jonny Evans 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.
4.
Jonny Evans is the second-most decorated player in Northern Irish football history.
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Jonny Evans 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, before retiring from international football in 2024.
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Jonny 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.
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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 Jonny Evans' opportunities were limited.
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Jonny 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 as domestic friendlies against Celtic and Preston North End, and in the Amsterdam Tournament against Ajax.
9.
Jonny Evans 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.
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Jonny Evans then appeared as a late substitute for Gerard Pique 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.
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Jonny Evans subsequently made his first Champions League start on 12 December 2007 against Roma.
12.
In December 2008, Jonny Evans made two substitute appearances at the FIFA Club World Cup, including one in the final after Vidic was sent off shortly after half-time.
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Jonny Evans continued to deputise throughout the rest of the season, appearing in a number of league games and in the League Cup final.
14.
On 19 March 2011, Jonny 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.
15.
Jonny Evans missed the final three games of the season with a foot injury.
16.
On 21 December 2012, Jonny Evans signed a new contract with United which would keep him at the club until June 2016.
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Jonny Evans scored an own goal moments later, turning into his own net a cross from former United, Antwerp and Sunderland teammate Danny Simpson.
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Jonny Evans signed for Premier League club West Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee on 29 August 2015.
19.
In July 2017, following the departure of club skipper Darren Fletcher to Stoke City, Jonny Evans was confirmed permanent captain by head coach Tony Pulis.
20.
On 12 July 2024, Jonny Evans signed a new one-year contract with the club.
21.
Jonny Evans took part in the 2024 FA Community Shield, another Manchester derby game which was level after 90 minutes and went to a penalty shootout.
22.
On 28 May 2016, Jonny Evans was included by national team manager Michael O'Neill in Northern Ireland's final 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016.
23.
Jonny Evans participated in all four of Northern Ireland's games in the tournament.
24.
Corry Jonny Evans was penalised for handball, though the ball clearly struck the player's shoulder; manager Michael O'Neill said it was the worst decision he had ever seen in a game he had been involved in.
25.
Jonny Evans nearly scored a winner in injury time of the second leg which would have levelled the aggregate score; his header beat Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer but was cleared off the line by defender Ricardo Rodriguez, who had converted the penalty in the first leg.
26.
Jonny Evans scored his third goal at senior international level when he opened the scoring against Belarus in Northern Ireland's second game of the Euro 2020 qualification phase.
27.
On 28 August 2024, after 107 caps, Jonny Evans retired from international football.
28.
Jonny Evans was a student at Belfast High School in Newtownabbey before being enrolled at Ashton-on-Mersey School in Sale, Greater Manchester, once he had been signed by Manchester United.
29.
On 1 June 2013, Jonny Evans married Helen McConnell, an MUTV reporter, at Clough Presbyterian Church.
30.
Jonny Evans was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to association football in Northern Ireland.