Former Leicester City defender Jonny Evans has revealed that he thought about retiring before his shock move to Manchester United this summer, according to Leicestershire Live.
The 35-year-old departed the King Power Stadium at the end of last season following their relegation to the Championship before heading back to Old Trafford after impressing manager Erik ten Hag in a series of pre-season fixtures.
The center-back, who joined from West Bromwich Albion in 2018, quickly established himself as a key member of the Foxes squad, starting in the FA Cup victory over Chelsea in 2021. At the start of last season, he was appointed club captain but, despite being given the option of a new contract, he chose to leave the team.
Everyone was surprised by Evans’ return to Old Trafford, and he was given a small part as a backup for other defenders Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelof. The veteran started the Premier League games against Burnley and Brentford, nevertheless, as a result of the Red Devils’ current injury issue
It’s been a remarkable turnaround for the former Sunderland loanee, who has admitted that he thought about retiring after last season’s injury problems, which limited him to just 13 Premier League appearances. Via quotes from Leicestershire Live, the Northern Ireland international said;
“I went through a stage last year where I started thinking maybe it is coming to an end. There’s no doubt I did have those thoughts.
“At the time I couldn’t get over injuries and every time I came back I was breaking down. I had lots of people telling me there’s no way you’re close to finishing, but you have to prove that to yourself and I feel like I’ve been able to do that.
“Every time you complete a match you think, ‘There’s another one, I can do that’, and sometimes you just have to confirm that to yourself. I’ve been pleased I’ve been able to go through that process and I feel in a good place.”
Evans started Northern Ireland’s 3-0 win over San Marino on Saturday, earning his 104th cap in the process.
Writer’s View
Jonny Evans’ return to Manchester United came as a huge shock, but he has shown his quality when called upon by Erik ten Hag. He is a player that certainly could’ve brought something to the table for Leicester in the Championship this season, but the Foxes certainly aren’t missing their former captain having won 10 of their opening 11 fixtures.
It’s great to see one of Northern Ireland’s greats secure a swansong to his long career, although he wouldn’t have been short of offers should his trial period at the 20-time English champions proved to be unsuccessful.
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