Evans reveals early chat with Ten Hag

The Academy product came up against the Reds boss for the first time in our 1-0 victory at the King Power Stadium, as Jadon Sancho's goal clinched three points in September 2022. 

After a typically polished performance by the experienced centre-back, the manager made a beeline for the lifelong United fan, who left the club in 2015.

After re-signing for the Reds in the summer, Evans has recently starred in the 1-0 victory at Burnley before coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup triumph over Crystal Palace, and is a good option for the boss at the heart of the defence, particularly with Lisandro Martinez now sidelined for some time.

In an exclusive interview with United Review, the official matchday programme for the Galatasaray game in the UEFA Champions League, the 35-year-old could not hide his excitement and enthusiasm for representing his boyhood club again.

"I’m having a great time, I have to say," he admitted. "Probably, I think from the day that I first came back into training, even though, from the start, it was kind of like on a casual role, just to try to get fit. The club was helping me along. And I think, since that moment on, I’ve felt at home and I’ve managed to get a couple of games in. A couple more games than what I expected, even at this stage."

Jonny recalled Ten Hag having a quick word after the clash with the Foxes last term and is indebted to the manager for bringing him back into the fold.

"I think back to when we played last season actually," he revealed. "We played quite early on in the season, United won 1-0 at Leicester, and I think I had a good game that night.

"He gave me a little bit of a jokey comment of 'do you fancy coming back?' So I was like 'yeah, yeah, of course, no problem'. And it’s funny how things work out. I just don’t think either of us thought that would've ever have been a possibility.

"But I suppose maybe he thought, with my experience, and my experience of the club before, and the relationship I had with everyone here, it wouldn’t be a problem for me at this stage of my career, coming in and settling in. I’m feeling part of it and being able to provide something.

"You know, I’m quite aware of my role and that is to provide cover for the other centre-backs and support the team in a different way to maybe what I’ve been used to, but I’ve just got to be ready when I can to basically try to help the team and help this club to push on."

The centre-back has now clocked up 200 appearances for the Reds, reaching that landmark at Burnley, when he assisted the winning goal for skipper Bruno Fernandes.

"I’m not one in that moment in time, to be looking at milestones, but I think it’s always when you look back on things and I suppose, like I say, I was always thinking it would have been nice to get to the 200," he admitted.

"But 198, that was not too bad. That was something I said I was always proud of. Even playing 10 games for Manchester United, one game for Manchester United, would have been a dream come true from a young age anyway. So I’m proud, you know, and I’m very lucky that I can get the second chance to play here and represent this club."

When we asked Jonny whether he could feel the reconnection with the supporters, who have been heartily singing his name to the old Gary Neville chant, he could not have been clearer in his response.

There is a sense that he is out to repay the respect and admiration they have always held for him, even when he left to ply his trade elsewhere, at West Brom and Leicester. Coming home again, this is his aim.

"I can [feel it]," he insisted. "The fans have always been amazing with me and that’s I think, when you’re an Academy player, you always get that. Over the years, you know some people say you almost feel like the fans sometimes take the local lads for granted because they always like the big stars coming in. And that’s true.

"But when you’re an Academy lad, there’s definitely something about it that the fans always have that love for you and support you. I’ve always felt that, even when I left the club, the amount of people who would come up to talk to me and say: ‘Oh, I wish you hadn’t left’ and ‘I wish you were still at the club’.

"For people to come up and say that, they didn’t have to say that, it always meant a lot to me. So now I’m back and I always think of all the people that said that, you know, through the years. I’m back now and, hopefully, I can repay their generosity and well wishes over the years."

Read the exclusive Jonny Evans interview in full in United Review, the official matchday programme for the Galatasaray game.