Man Utd centre-back retires from international football
- Jonny Evans makes announcement over international future
- Man Utd centre-back played 107 times for Northern Ireland
- First and last appearance came against Spain 18 years apart
Manchester United centre-back Jonny Evans has announced his retirement from international duty with Northern Ireland, 18 years after his senior debut.
Evans earned his 107th and final cap during a friendly defeat at the hands of Spain in June. He had been regularly captaining his country since 2022.
As chance would have it, facing Spain bookended his international career after his first international appearance against the same opposition back in September 2006. Evans played 90 minutes at left-back in a famous Northern Ireland win over the future European and world champions.
He was actually an international with Northern Ireland before he'd made his senior United debut, playing seven times before making his bow under Sir Alex Ferguson at club level. Loans at Royal Antwerp and Sunderland were what had got him noticed before then.
Evans didn't become a first-team regular at Old Trafford until 2008 and went on to make 198 appearances across all competitions before his 2015 departure for West Bromwich Albion. He surprisingly returned to United last summer, initially offered a short-term contract to make up the numbers during pre-season but then handed a one-year deal and then a second until 2025.
But, at the age of 36 and ahead of upcoming international breaks in September, October and November, Evans has made the decision to step away from Northern Ireland duty after "much thought and consideration". In a social media statement, he called representing his country a "privilege" and his "biggest honour" in football.
Evans was part of the Northern Ireland squad at Euro 2016, the country's first major tournament in 30 years, picking that experience as his international highlight "without doubt".
The veteran defender started for Manchester United in the Community Shield earlier this month but has played only nine minutes in the Premier League, filling a back-up role behind Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and summer signing Matthijs de Ligt as he winds down his career.
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