Former Leicester City hero Jonny Evans has announced his retirement aged 37 after a second spell at Manchester United came to an end. The Northern Irish defender's contract expired in June and he's decided to hang his boots up.
Evans spent five years at the King Power and became a fan favourite with his displays at the back. He was a member of the Foxes side that won the FA Cup in 2021, even helping Brendan Rodgers' side beat United 3-1 en route to the 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the final.
He isn't quite finished with the sport though and will take his knowledge of the game into his post playing career. He already has a new job on the horizon.
Ex-Leicester star Evans handed new Man Utd role
Evans will immediately become a backroom staff member at United and become an important influence on youngsters heading out on loan. He is reportedly set to be given a role that sees him oversee loan deals for academy talent, per BBC Sport.
It was clear throughout his time at the King Power how much of a leader he was. He was also a standout performer during the Rodgers era and this didn't go unnoticed by his compatriot when speaking in 2021 (via Belfast Live):
“He’s such a colossal player for us. He knows how we want to play the game. Ultimately, he’s a defender who wants to defend. He has that built-in football brain, which is what being a top-class defender is all about.”
Evans joined Leicester from West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2018 for a mere £3.5m and he went on to make 152 appearances. He was appointed club captain in 2022-2023 but relegation saw him depart once his contract expired in July of that year.
Evans was prepared to see out career at Leicester
There was talk of Evans extending his contract in the summer of 2023 despite the Foxes suffering the drop. He had spoken a year before about potentially penning a new deal (via BBC Sport):
"Definitely, I've been really happy here. There's nothing about this place that wouldn't make you want to stay here and play football."
Evans had endured injury problems in the back end of his Leicester spell which may have played a role in his departure. Enzo Maresca arrived and started shaping the squad in his image which saw several high-profile names head for the exit door.
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