Jonny Evans Signs Short-term Man Utd Deal After Impressing Erik Ten Hag2 min read

Jonny Evans has signed a short-term contract at Manchester United that will allow him to play for the club during pre-season.

The Northern Ireland international defender – a United youth graduate who was sold by the club eight years ago under Louis van Gaal – has impressed boss Erik ten Hag during pre-season training with the club.

Evans is currently a free agent after his contract expired at Leicester, who were relegated to the Championship. The experienced defender will continue to train and play with United as he continues his search for a new club.

The defender came through the Red Devils academy before leaving in 2015 to join West Brom. After three years with the Baggies, Evans moved to Leicester and helped the Foxes finish fifth in back-to-back seasons, while also winning the FA Cup during his time at the King Power Stadium.

Evans, 35, made 198 first-team appearances for the Red Devils across eight seasons – scoring seven goals. He won three Premier League title medals during his time at Old Trafford and was part of the squad that won 11 trophies.

The veteran central defender remains a mainstay of the Northern Ireland international team, having been capped 102 times across a 17-year career. He was captain for Leicester during his time at the club, but was one of a number of senior players to leave the Foxes this summer upon the expiration of their contracts.

A statement from the United website read: “The Academy graduate (Evans) had been training with the Under-21s whilst considering his options, following his departure from Leicester City at the end of last season.

“As part of the Academy training programme, he has also taken part in a number of first-team sessions and impressed Erik ten Hag and the coaching staff.”

The statement continued: “Evans, who has been capped 102 times by Northern Ireland, will travel to Edinburgh as part of the group to face Lyon on Wednesday. Jonny will then join up with the Academy group that will travel to San Diego, while the first-team squad are in New York.”