'Evans retires as one of NI's all-time greats'

Bookended by outings against Spain almost 18 years apart, Jonny Evans' Northern Ireland profession has ended arsenic it began.

Having confirmed his world status connected Thursday, crossed much than a period of caps successful betwixt those first and past outings for his country, nan 36-year-old Manchester United defender ensured that 1 of nan astir memorable debuts successful Northern Ireland's history preceded 1 of nan finest careers successful nan greenish jersey.

It was Lawrie Sanchez who gave him his first sensation arsenic a elder world erstwhile Evans was an 18-year-old connected indebtedness astatine Belgian broadside Royal Antwerp.

Legend has it nan head was only made alert of nan young defender successful nan under-21s aft his adjunct Terry Gibson's boy noticed him successful nan machine crippled Championship Manager.

Fresh disconnected a 3-0 conclusion astatine nan hands of Iceland astatine Windsor Park, Sanchez wanted caller faces for a training crippled but was truthful taken by Evans' capacity that he included him from nan commencement only days later against a broadside who successful nan years to travel would triumph nan World Cup and a brace of European Championships.

Going against a guardant statement consisting of David Villa, Fernando Torres and Raul would person been daunting for immoderate defender - to do truthful connected your world debut, and retired of position astatine left-back, felt a gargantuan task.

And yet, while it was David Healy's hat-trick successful nan 3-2 triumph that was destined to beryllium shown clip and clip again, really Evans saw disconnected nan situation of 3 of nan game's superstars down nan Spanish correct flank would enactment pinch Sanchez.

"All 3 of them knew location was this young kid playing his first crippled and were astir apt reasoning they would beryllium capable to get thing retired of him," Sanchez told BBC Sport NI successful 2022.

"But they didn't. Jonny looked arsenic though he had played 100 games for america astatine left-back."

On nan ground of that night, possibly it should travel arsenic nary astonishment that unflappable has been nan connection utilized to picture Evans clip and clip again crossed his adjacent 2 decades astatine nan bosom of Northern Ireland's defence.

Relied upon by 4 different world managers - Evans has been a changeless nether Lawrie Sanchez, Nigel Worthington, Ian Baraclough and some spells of Michael O'Neill - nan erstwhile Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion man has provided an injection of Premier League value to nan broadside during an era erstwhile practice successful England's apical convention has dwindled.

And while his top-flight honours people him retired arsenic 1 his country's astir dressed up ever players, helping his broadside to a awesome finals will rank alongside nan Premier Leagues and FA Cups.

Evans, who scored six goals for his state contempt a nine-year drought betwixt his first and second, played each 4 of Northern Ireland's games astatine Euro 2016, antecedently citing nan 2-0 triumph complete Ukraine successful Lyon arsenic nan item of his world career.

Despite agonising play-off defeats by Switzerland and Slovakia denying them spots astatine nan 2018 World Cup successful Russia and Euro 2020, Evans has remained among nan side's astir accordant performers, particularly aft nan status of long-time team-mate Steven Davis past year.

Having said he "came to nan realisation" of really overmuch it meant to him to correspond Northern Ireland arsenic his profession progressed, Evans' cognition to world football, moreover done a play erstwhile results faltered astatine nan extremity of Baraclough's reign and nan early days of O'Neill, was praised by his head arsenic precocious arsenic this summer.

No longer pinch nan likes of Davis, Stuart Dallas and Craig Cathcart alongside him, Evans' acquisition has been captious arsenic a caller squad sparking optimism for nan early has been blooded astir him successful caller windows.

While nan likes of Conor Bradley, Trai Hume and Shea Charles person fixed Northern Ireland supporters origin to look guardant to nan early of late, Thursday's announcement provides a logic to look backmost pinch fondness connected 1 of nan awesome careers successful greenish and nan time a fresh-faced 18-year-old kept immoderate of nan world's champion astatine bay.