Jonny Evans has yet to decide on his future after being released by Manchester United at the end of the season.
Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season was Jonny Evans’ last competitive appearance for the club.
It was announced that three United players would depart at the end of their contracts, including Evans, who missed a chunk of the 2024/25 campaign due to injury.
Evans went on the post-season tour of Asia and played in United’s 3-1 win over Hong Kong. That was his final ever appearance as a United player. It could also be his final match as a professional footballer.
After coming through the United academy, Evans made 241 appearances for the first team throughout two spells. The centre-back also played for Leicester City, West Brom, Sunderland (loan) and Royal Antwerp (loan).
Evans’ incredible playing career saw him win 14 trophies, with the majority won during his time at Old Trafford.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Jonny Evans unsure of next move
After a turbulent season at United and saying goodbye to the club he spent most of his career at, Evans is planning to take some time off over the summer before considering his options for the future.
Respected journalist Andy Mitten revealed that Evans would retire following his final appearance for United against Hong Kong, but the experienced defender has yet to commit his future to anything.
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Evans has been linked with a move to lower league clubs, but he could also turn to coaching, having been a model professional throughout his successful career.
Evans was honoured in his home city of Belfast this week for his services to football in Northern Ireland. The former United defender was gifted a huge portrait of himself in green and white.
Speaking to BBC Sport NI ahead of Northern Ireland’s 1-0 win over Iceland, Evans hinted that he would take a step back before deciding his future.
“I’m not sure yet,” Evans said.
“I’ll take a bit of time. I don’t feel like I’m in a rush to do anything.”
Evans was thought highly of at every club he represented and is unlikely to struggle with offers to turn to coaching.
Evans tipped for management
Evans has enjoyed an incredible career as a player and could look to use his experience from the dugout in the future.
Becoming a coach would be the typical first step, but that could easily lead to Evans becoming a first team manager.
According to Evans’ former Northern Ireland teammate David Healy, the defender possesses the attributes to become a manager in the future.
“Jonny has the persona of a manager, nothing fazes him and he has that calmness and experience,” Healy told BBC Sport.
“I’ve no doubt he would be afforded the utmost respect from the players he would coach and manage in any dressing room he walked into, if that’s what he chooses to do.”
Healy, who also came through the ranks at United, also praised Evans for being a great servant at Old Trafford.
“I was hugely disappointed, and I know Jonny was too, and although he probably wouldn’t say it, a wee bit hurt, the way he left United [in 2015], because he came through the ranks.
“He represented Man Utd with great pride and great dignity and with great success under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“So to get the opportunity to return when he did, people were probably sort of thinking, ‘that’s a strange one’, but when I saw it I wasn’t shocked.”