(Reuters) – Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans revealed that he had feared his football career was coming to an end last year due to a series of injuries before he received a lifeline from his former club Manchester United.
Evans experienced recurring calf injuries while playing for Leicester City and was released by the club at the end of last season following their relegation from the Premier League.
However, the 35-year-old was offered a short-term contract by Manchester United on transfer deadline day and has made four appearances since his return, featuring in victories over Burnley and Brentford in the league.
“There was a period last year where I started to think, ‘maybe this is the end,'” Evans told reporters ahead of Northern Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Slovenia scheduled for later on Tuesday.
“I struggled to overcome the injuries, and every time I returned, I would break down again. Many people told me, ‘you’re not close to finishing,’ but I had to prove it to myself, and I believe I have done that,” he explained.
Evans, who emerged from Manchester United’s academy and made over 190 appearances for the club during his first spell from 2006 to 2015, winning three Premier League titles, added, “I have dedicated a lot of time to training, getting past those injuries, and completing matches.”
“Each time I complete a match, I think to myself, ‘another one accomplished.’ Sometimes, you have to reaffirm it to yourself, and I’m pleased that I have been able to go through this process. I feel like I am in a good place,” he expressed.
Currently, Manchester United occupies the 10th position in the Premier League and is set to face Sheffield United, the bottom-placed team, on Saturday.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
