Jonny Evans Determined to Continue Playing at Club and International Level
Northern Ireland’s Jonny Evans is determined to continue playing at club and international level, despite suffering Premier League relegation at the end of an injury-plagued season with Leicester City. Ahead of Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Denmark in Copenhagen, Evans discussed the possibility of staying at Leicester and his hopes for the future.
Staying at Leicester
The 35-year-old is out of contract after his season with Leicester City, but he has had discussions with the club and hinted at the possibility of staying. Evans said, “There have been a few discussions with myself and Leicester, but a very brief and general discussion. There’s a lot up in the air and I don’t think anything’s changed in the last couple of weeks since I’ve been away. I’ll see what happens after the internationals.” When asked if he would like to stay, he responded, “Leicester’s an amazing club and I’ve loved my time there. If the opportunity came up and it was right for myself and Leicester, I wouldn’t have any problems with staying on. I’m sure it would continue to be an amazing place to play.”
Recovering from Injury
Evans made only 13 starts in the campaign just finished, but three of those came in the final three games of the season. Recovering from injury to play in those matches has given him a major boost after he admitted there was a time he wondered if his body would be able to continue to withstand the rigours of playing. He said, “Probably with the injuries, there maybe was a time where I thought I was just coming to that age where I felt like my body can’t handle it any more. But I played the three games at the end of the season and I felt good in them.”
NI Must ‘Put Everything on the Line’ Against Danes
With Northern Ireland 43 places behind 19th-placed Denmark in the world ranking, Evans believes he and his team-mates will need to “put everything on the line” if they are to get a much-needed result. He said, “You have to be willing to run. You have to be willing to put everything on the line. Getting a result in international football away from home is very difficult and sometimes you need a little bit of luck. We’ll need plenty of effort, good organisation and good team spirit. The confidence and the belief comes after, when you start winning games.”
Good Memories of NI’s Last Visit to Copenhagen
Evans revealed he has been in touch with former Leicester City team-mate and Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel before the game, and warned Northern Ireland will need to be wary of their hosts’ set-piece prowess. He said, “I think they’ve shown they’re a really good team over the last number of years, they’ve had good runs in tournaments and, of course, I know Kasper very well and he’s spoken about how good they are. I think it’s going to be a tough game for us against a good strong team. They’ll try to press us and make it tough. They’ll be very organised. They value their set-pieces a lot, Kasper is very passionate about that. They’ll be well drilled on it.”
Evans was winning just his second cap when Northern Ireland last played Denmark away in October 2006. He played his part – at left-back – in a rearguard action as Lawrie Sanchez’s side earned a battling 0-0 draw. He recalled, “It was [backs to the wall]. It was obviously a long time ago but I can actually remember that game, my first away game for Northern Ireland, more clearly than the Spain game [a month before, when he made his NI debut]. I remember it being a tough night and Lawrie Sanchez actually moved Keith Gillespie over from the right wing to the left to help me out a bit. I was getting overrun down that side. I was a young lad at the time but it was an experience. One thing I do remember was the atmosphere. It was backs to the wall but we managed to come away with a point that night.”
Conclusion
Northern Ireland will face Denmark on Friday night in Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium. Jonny Evans is determined to continue playing at club and international level despite his injury-plagued season with Leicester City and is hopeful about staying with Leicester if the opportunity arises. He believes Northern Ireland must “put everything on the line” if they are to get a much-needed result against Denmark, who are 43 places ahead of them in the world ranking. Evans also recalled his first away game for Northern Ireland in 2006 when they earned a battling 0-0 draw against Denmark.