Man Utd's Evans 'has the persona of a manager'
Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, who is likely to make his final appearance for the Old Trafford club against Aston Villa on Sunday, possesses the attributes to become a manager in the future, according to David Healy, his former Northern Ireland international team-mate.
Evans has enjoyed a distinguished career which has seen him have two spells with the Red Devils, play for West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City, and rack up 107 caps for his country.
The 37-year-old made 131 appearances for Manchester United between 2006 and 2015 and re-joined the Premier League giants eight years later when Erik ten Hag was manager.
Evans' medal tally with United makes impressive reading - he has won the Premier League three times, the FA Cup, the League Cup twice, the Champions League and the Club World Cup with the Premier League giants.
"Jonny has the persona of a manager, nothing fazes him and he has that calmness and experience," Healy told BBC Sport NI.
"I've no doubt he would be afforded the utmost respect from the players he would coach and manage in any dressing room he walked into, if that's what he chooses to do."
Healy, who began his career with Manchester United, described Evans as "a great servant" to the Old Trafford club.
"I was hugely disappointed, and I know Jonny was too, and although he probably wouldn't say it, a wee bit hurt, the way he left United [in 2015], because he came through the ranks.
"He represented Man Utd with great pride and great dignity and with great success under Sir Alex Ferguson.
"So to get the opportunity to return when he did, people were probably sort of thinking, 'that's a strange one', but when I saw it I wasn't shocked."
Evans initially started his second spell at United in July 2023 on a short-term basis but subsequently signed a one-year contract in September.
"I still knew how highly thought of Jonny was at United previously and it didn't take long for the manager [ten Hag] to realise, even initially for a short period," reflected Healy.
"Jonny's personality, his quality, his experience, won people over when he went in."
Healy believes that Evans ranks among the best players to have turned out for Northern Ireland.
"People talk about different eras, different people, I can only go on what I've seen over the last 20 or 30 years.
"We've had exceptional centre-halves, but Jonny is certainly up there - his medal haul is through the roof, his appearance record."
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