Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria (15/10/2024)

DID YOU KNOW?

In late August Northern Ireland captain Jonny Evans announced his retirement from international football. The 36-year-old defender, who earned 107 senior caps, said it had been a privilege to play for his country for almost two decades. Here Marshall Gillespie charts his illustrious international career.

Evans made 43 appearances for his country during his two spells at Manchester United. He made a further four appearances for Northern Ireland during a loan stint at Sunderland and another 28 in his three years at West Bromwich Albion. His remaining 32 caps all came during his time with Leicester City.

Lawrie Sanchez gave Jonny Evans his senior debut aged just 18 years and 246 days in Northern Ireland’s now famous 3-2 win over Spain at Windsor Park on 6 September 2006. Evans had still not broken into the Manchester United first team and actually amassed seven senior caps before making his first appearance for the Red Devils in a League Cup tie against Coventry City on 26 September 2007. It was fitting that his final appearance for his country should be against the Spaniards in Majorca back in June.

Evans started 106 of his 107 games for Northern Ireland and was substituted in just 10 of them. He was only an unused substitute on one occasion, which was in a Nations League encounter in Austria in November 2020. His full record as a senior international reads: P W D L 107 34 26 47

In October 2018 younger brother Corry reached a half century of caps in a defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning the Evans’ became only the second set of brothers, after England’s Gary and Phil Neville, to make 50 or more international appearances for any of the Home Nations.

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NIR V BUL