Jonny Evans played with a string of iconic players during his Manchester United days, but feels two teammates stood out as a level above the remaining.
The centre-back had two stints at Old Trafford, firstly from 2006-15 before making a surprise return in 2023.
His first spell saw him play 198 games in all competitions, winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League and two League Cups.
He got here back in a really different time for the club, making 43 appearances and adding the FA Cup to his CV in 2024.
The Northern Irishman played alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, but it surely was two other players he was more in awe of than any of those stars.
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The defender felt Red Devils legends Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were a cut above the remaining of the squad and did things he didn’t realise were possible on the training ground.
‘I at all times thought Scholes and Giggs were on one other level to the remaining of the team,’ Evans told Sky Sports. ‘Though we had world class players I felt like their IQ was just a little bit bit higher than everyone else’s.
‘The each of them, they’d do things, more on the training pitch than anything, and also you’d think, “I didn’t even know that existed. I’ll never have the ability to get to that level.” It’s just a unique level.’
Scholes won 11 Premier League titles with Manchester United, while Giggs managed 13, while each won two Champions Leagues with the club.
Evans not only played alongside these greats but faced lots of the world’s best during his time with the Red Devils, but in addition the likes of West Brom and Leicester City.
Picking out the three most difficult strikers he took on, he turned to Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City legends.
‘I’d go straight to [Luis] Suarez at Liverpool,’ said Evans on his hardest foes. ‘I’d probably go Suarez, [Didier] Drogba and [Sergio] Aguero. Through the years those three stand out greater than the others.’
On Suarez he added: ‘You simply never knew what you were going to get with him. He’d bobble the ball through your legs. He could do all the things. He was strong, brave, an actual handful.’
Suarez, Drogba and Aguero within the Premier League
Luis Suarez
Apps: 110
Goals: 69
Assists: 23
Didier Drogba
Apps: 230
Goals: 99
Assists: 54
Sergio Aguero
Apps: 275
Goals: 184
Assists: 47
Evans hung up his boots at the tip of last season and moved right into a latest role at Manchester United as head of loans and pathways, working on short-term moves for young players on the club.
He wrote in June this yr: ‘I would like to officially announce my retirement from my playing profession, not with sadness, but with pride, gratitude and excitement for the subsequent chapter ahead.
‘I’ll be endlessly indebted to the managers, coaches, staff and, in fact, my team-mates, that I even have had the privilege of working alongside throughout my 20 years in skilled football.
‘Having had experience of loans myself, I do know the crucial role that they’ll play inside a player’s development. I’m excited to assist further develop the pathway to our first team and proceed the legacy of young players thriving at Manchester United.’
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