Evans: I couldn't wait to get out there and compete
Even after hundreds of professional appearances throughout a decorated career, Jonny Evans admitted he had "butterflies in his stomach" before heading out onto the pitch at Villa Park on Sunday.
The experienced Northern Irishman made his fifth appearance of the season in all competitions as he lined up alongside Harry Maguire in central defence for the Reds against Unai Emery’s side.
An accomplished performer at the back, the 36-year-old put in a solid shift throughout the 90 minutes as United earned a third consecutive clean sheet on the road in the Premier League.
His impressive showing also earned Jonny the Man of the Match award with 57 per cent of the vote, as chosen by United fans in our app.
Evans: To a man, everyone put a shift in
Jonny Evans praises the resilience of the Reds after our draw at Aston Villa...
Speaking to MUTV afterwards, Evans expressed that he was raring to go in the West Midlands, after being told by Erik ten Hag that he would be in the starting XI when travelling home from the Europa League match against FC Porto, as the boss rotated his central defence.
“I love coming to Villa Park, I had such a buzz,” our no.35 told Mark Sullivan in the tunnel. “The manager told me on the way back from Porto on the plane that I was going to play so get your head ready for it. I’ve been pretty calm but, as soon as we arrived at the stadium, I sort of got the butterflies in the stomach, ready to go and couldn’t wait to get out there and compete.”
Evans, who came through the club’s Academy, feels he hasn’t changed the way he plays despite being in the latter stages of his career and relishes every opportunity he gets to pull on the famous United shirt.
"It's still a privilege to play for this club,” he told Sky Sports. “Every match I play now I just enjoy it.
“The pressures that come with it, it's part of it. You see the fans at the end, the support they give the team. They have supported the players massively over the years.
"I still feel like I'm playing the game I always have. I still feel like I have speed in the legs to get me out of the bad moments.”
Although the Reds could not find a winner, Sunday’s stalemate against an impressive Villa outfit represented a positive outcome for Ten Hag’s troops heading into the international break.
“We got a point against a good side away from home,” Evans reflected. “The other night, conceding three [against FC Porto], we wanted to be more defensive-minded to give ourselves a chance. We were looking for that one moment of quality, maybe on the counter, and we nearly got it at the end.
"Fair play to Villa. They're good players and you never feel comfortable. You've always got to be on your toes and ready.”