Jonny Evans returned to his boyhood club Manchester United in the summer on a free transfer from Leicester City. Now United boss Eric Ten Hag has given the 35-year-old his first start for the club since 2015.
In his 200th appearance for the Red Devils, Evans delivered a man-of-the-match performance in their close 1-0 away victory over Burnley on Saturday. After the match, captain Bruno Fernandes handed Evans his Player of the Match award as a classy gesture towards his teammate.
Bruno Fernandes hands MOTM award to Evans
Manchester United resumed their Premier League campaign after a three-match losing streak in all competitions. Amid inner turmoil within the club, Ten Hag and the team were in desperate need of three points.
Nonetheless, they have returned to the winning ways with a victory over Vincent Kompany’s Burnley at Turf Moor. Captain Bruno Fernandes scored the match-winning goal just before half-time, which made the difference as Burnley failed to break through United’s defense.
The assist for Bruno’s goal came from Evans, who made his first appearance for the Red Devils in 8 years, replacing Lisandro Martinez in the defense. He even led the United backline and managed to keep a clean sheet.
The Northern Ireland international did manage to find the back of the net through a header but it was eventually disallowed by VAR for offside. However, his assist was enough for United to register a win.
Bruno was declared the Player of the Match for his contribution to the game’s only goal, although he chose to hand the award to Jonny Evans.
Bruno Fernandes praised the defender, saying, “It was a great pass from Jonny. I know he has great qualities in playing the ball in behind with both feet,” after the win.
Evans made his first United start since 2015
Leicester City released Jonny Evans after they were relegated to the Championship. Before joining Leicester in 2018, Evans played for West Bromwich Albion, and most recently, he returned to Old Trafford this summer.
He made his second full debut for United against Burnley, contributing with an assist and helping the team keep a clean sheet. After the match, he described it as ‘the best night of my life’.
Evans said, “I loved every minute of it. Before the game you get a feeling, I couldn’t wait, just pure excitement,” post-game.
“Coming up here on the bus I was buzzing. That was my 200th game for Man Utd, I never thought I would ever reach that figure — the best night of my life”, he added further.
His debut marked his first start for United since 2015, and the player made his 200th appearance upon returning to the starting lineup on Saturday.
What are your thoughts to Jonny Evans return to Old Trafford? Share with us in the comments.
