Earlier this year, Jonny Evans made the jump to first-team coach, despite having very limited coaching experience.
Jonny Evans is part of the furniture at Manchester United.
After graduating from United’s academy, Evans became a regular during the 2008/09 season as he played a pivotal part in the defence that kept 14 consecutive Premier League clean sheets.
Despite leaving in 2015, two years after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Evans returned to United as a veteran in 2023 and announced his retirement from playing football at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Jonny Evans and Diogo Dalot in action during a first-team Manchester United training session at the Carrington training complex in 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
What is Michael Carrick’s best decision at Man Utd so far?
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Jonny Evans explains adaptation process to coaching at Man Utd
Evans became United’s Head of Loans and Pathways after hanging up his boots.
However, just six months into the job, Evans decided to step down.
The former Northern Ireland international returned to United a month later to help assist caretaker manager Darren Fletcher following the sacking of Ruben Amorim.
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Evans has remained part of the coaching staff under Michael Carrick. The current backroom team also consists of Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate and Travis Binnion.
“It’s been really good,” Evans told ManUtd.com.
“Obviously I’ve known Michael a long time, and it’s been really easy to come in with Steve and Woody and Trav, [who has] obviously worked with the Under-21s.
“The club’s like my home almost, so day to day just feels natural for me. On the coaching side of it, I just feel like I’m learning every day.
“Your mind’s thinking in different ways. I’ve really enjoyed it and hopefully I can continue that on and learn more towards the end of the season.”
Evans went on to admit that it was a little ‘strange’ at the beginning to coach players he previously played alongside, like Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw.
“The first couple of days felt a little bit strange, I can’t lie,” he added.
“I’ve got for example big Harry, he’s my centre-back partner and I’ve played with him for two different clubs, and all of a sudden that’s flipped now and I’m now coaching him.
“We would have talked about the game in the past and I suppose you can still make it a bit of a conversation and a discussion, but there’s lads like Shawy and that.
“He was 19 when he signed here the first time and I was already playing in the first team, so little dynamics like that.
“Obviously now I’m trying to put sessions on for them, so it probably took me a week or two to adjust, but after that, you just feel it flowing.”
Are Roy Keane’s concerns valid? Or is he just adding needless negativity to the Michael Carrick debate?
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Jonny Evans making Roy Keane eat his words
Roy Keane wasn’t very pleased when it was announced that Evans would become a coach earlier this year.
The former United captain was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast when he said: “Jonny Evans leaves Man United four or five weeks ago as a loans manager and then Fletch gives him the job, strangely enough, and has two games.
“Fletch goes and Carrick gives him the job. Great, isn’t it?
“We should all go to Barbados for a week… If you’re on about getting coaching staff in, we’re praising one of them and we just let the other two go – Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans.
“What has Jonny Evans done to be a coach at Man Utd’s first team?
“He left a job four weeks ago as a loans manager and ironically comes back working with the first team.
“That’s a big step up, isn’t it?”
But nobody has been complaining about the standard of coaching given United’s results since the turn of the year.
Carrick and his coaches need to ensure United finish the season strongly and qualify for the Champions League.
Otherwise, Keane will think he made a valid point about United’s appointments earlier this year.
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