Jonny Evans is relishing the chance to play his part in helping his boyhood club Manchester United achieve more success this season and has explained the motivation behind continuing to compete at the highest level.
The Northern Ireland international is part of the squad in Norway for Monday’s friendly against Rosenborg, live on MUTV, after signing a new one-year contract with the Reds.
He proved his qualities to manager Erik ten Hag last summer, in order to rejoin the side where he won so much silverware under Sir Alex Ferguson. By showing his class and experience, he was able to push for a place at the heart of the defence, and enjoy the adulation of the United fans all over again.
“I’m over the moon really,” he admitted to club media after agreeing fresh terms to extend his second stint at Old Trafford. “It’s déjà vu as, like I just said, I spoke to you last year but just that the experience of last year was that it was great for me, on a personal level, to be able to play so many games and play a big part and, hopefully, I can do that again this year.
“I tried to sort of, I suppose, look at it as, you know, a one-season thing, and obviously the club came to me before the end of the season and said they’d like me to stay on. So it was a pretty easy decision really. To sort of get that over the line, for me, I’m grateful to the club obviously.”
Evans, at 36, feels he has learned how to ensure his preparation is spot on, in advance of returning for the traditionally gruelling pre-season work. Once the high of winning the Emirates FA Cup in May subsided, he represented his country again, in a defeat to Spain, but has managed to rest his mind and body, ready to go again in 2024/25.
Evans’s cup final outing as a substitute against Manchester City was his 30th appearance of the campaign, and he helped the Reds protect the lead against the Blues to get our hands on the trophy. While he lifted it in his time at Leicester City, it was an honour that, surprisingly, eluded him in his first spell at United and provides the added benefits of appearing in the Community Shield to kick off 2024/25, and competing in the Europa League.
“I think sometimes you can feel this, the after-effects of that [success]," he said. "Obviously, everyone shot off on holidays and some others to internationals straight after the game. So it’s the first time we’ve all sort of come back this week. And it was good to see everyone again, reminiscing about the party and the game. Now, hopefully, we can take a lot of confidence from that and, especially, by the way we played, the performance and the atmosphere around the team leading up to the game and afterwards. So, you know, we want to take that forward and make it a habit.
“I think, for everyone and for myself, like I said, personally to be able to win an FA Cup at Manchester United because it’s something I hadn’t done before, even in the spell I had here, the first spell at the club, we never actually did that when I was involved in the first team.
“So it was a big achievement and one that I think everyone involved last year was sort of realising the magnitude of it and, even three or four weeks after the game, I was still getting people coming up and congratulating the players and everyone involved. It feels good that we’ve been able to give that to the fans and it’s been incredible.
“Well, getting to be able to get back into Europe was, as you know, it's a big thing for the club. And for the squad size, as it’s getting people a chance to play games and it is another avenue for us to be able to get into the Champions League next season. So, you know, the more games, the better. This club wants to be playing games every two or three days. Yeah, so it was a big win and, obviously, our league position wasn’t great last year, but I suppose the FA Cup kind of felt like it rescued it a little bit.”
Evans is feeling refreshed and ready for the first outing of the pre-season, in Trondheim, with the game kicking off at 17:00 BST, live on MUTV.
“I had a week before meeting up with the internationals and I played one international, against Spain,” he explained. “They’re a very good side. We scored too early, it was in the first minute! [Dan Ballard opened the scoring but Spain went on to win 5-1]. So obviously, they’re a very good side and they got to the Euro final against England. So I was able to play in the national team and had a little bit of rest after. But you still have to keep yourself ticking over. I've been out doing a bit of running, as I’m sure most of the lads have been, to try to keep yourself injury free and ready for when we come back. It’s been good to be back in the last couple of days and to start building on the fitness.
“Yeah, I think, with experience, you know you’ve got to keep on top of it and there were probably periods when I was younger when you probably underestimated the importance of it. You’re then coming back in the pre-season and you’re playing catch-up. But there’s no room for error. Now you’ve got to be on it all the time, you know, in peak condition and making sure you’re still watching your diet, what you’re eating. So, when you do come back, you’re ready to hit the ground running. And the speed in the game now, I suppose squads are probably of a younger age composition and you’ve got to be able to keep up with the young lads now.
“I didn’t have a problem sort of switching off. I think it was after the cup final when there was that sort of buzz for the next couple of days, but I found it easy enough to sort of switch off and, like I said, it’s probably with a bit of experience that I am able to do that. Obviously, through holidays, the need to sort the kids out and, you know, just normal, normal things. But I think, even after two or three weeks, you start getting that itch again and you want to get back in and get doing something. You kind of want that buzz of playing matches again and that’s what it’s all about, you know, for us – football, as professional footballers. You want to do it all the time.”
For Jonny, his position is clear when it comes to what he can contribute and why he is able to have such an impact, despite reaching veteran status. Without the knowledge he still has the capacity to improve, he feels it would be difficult to continue at the highest level.
Like others before him at the club, including the likes of former team-mates Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, such a thirst for self-betterment and a desire to enjoy more days like the one at Wembley a couple of months ago, is the chief motivating factor.
“Personally, I think it’s to try and, you know, do better than what I did last year and the contribution to the team. I think, as a team, we want to achieve more and do better than we did. So each individual has to step up their game and to improve on that. I think that is what, as I say, from a personal point of view, is my sort of mindset. This is the aim to try to push on, trying to improve and, if I didn’t have that improvement, I don’t think I’d have the motivation.
“So I think that’s always a good thing to have and, you know, as a team, to keep challenging for trophies and winning trophies. Our league position has to be better. More consistency in games, I think. And, you know, if we can do that, we’ll have a great season.”