Ched Evansplaceholder image
Ched Evans | Camera Sport
The PFA pre-season camp is available to registered professional during the 24/25 season who are out-of-contract
Ched Evans and Patrick Bauer are two of the 40 free agents signed up for the PFA’s pre-season this week.
The pair were spotted at the camp last week and have now been confirmed in the latest cohort of players, aiming to secure new clubs. The camp runs from June 30 to September 4, and is eligible for PFA members who held a contract, either in the Premier League or EFL (or equivalent overseas league), during the 20224/25 campaign.
The PFA have scheduled six friendlies over the course of the summer, the second of which takes place against Port Vale this afternoon (1pm). Bauer is looking for a new club after six years at Preston, but also on the back of three seasons which saw him make only eight league appearances.
In total, the German turned out 105 times for PNE after joining from Charlton Athletic on a free transfer. He suffered a horrific Achilles injury in December 2020 and struggled to get a look in from 2022 onwards. While Bauer, 32, was always expected to carry on his playing career there wasn’t as much certainty with Evans.
Preston opted against renewing his playing contract this summer, but did offer the 36-year-old a coaching role in the academy. Evans had gained experience coaching with the first team but decided to prioritise playing half-way through last season, having signed a player-coach deal in the summer of 2024.
He added 11 appearances to his PNE tally in the previous campaign, taking his overall record to 103 - with 16 goals scored and eight assisted. North End CEO Peter Ridsdale had described talks with Evans as ‘amicable’ and suggested he could look to prolong his time on the pitch.
One of the most notable names from the PFA camp this summer is John Swift, who is reportedly set to join Portsmouth. The list of players joining Evans and Bauer this week includes Paul Dummett, Fankaty Dabo, Hakeeb Adelakun, Angus Gunn, Jake Forster-Caskey, Kadeem Harris, Olamide Shodipo, Grant Ward and Kane Hemmings.
Continue Reading