“Do you fancy coming back?” – Erik ten Hag conversation recalled after Man United contract

Erik ten Hag asked one Manchester United player if he wanted to join the club before his Old Trafford return last summer.

Ten Hag signed veteran defender Jonny Evans last season in a surprise transfer after he originally joined the club on a short-term deal for pre-season.

It was expected that Evans could help the young United players behind the scenes and be a backup option in defence for the cup fixtures.

However, due to an unprecedented injury crisis to Ten Hag’s squad last term, Evans was forced to be way more involved than initially anticipated.

The Northern Irish defender made 30 appearances, including games against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal. He came off the bench in the FA Cup final.

His deal expired at the end of last month but it has since been confirmed that the defender has signed new terms on another one-year contract.

Speaking to club media last season, Evans recalled a conversation he had with Ten Hag during the 2022/23 campaign, during which the manager asked him if he would rejoin the club following a game against his then-club, Leicester City.

“I think back to when we played last season actually,” he detailed. “We played quite early on in the season, United won 1-0 at Leicester, and I think I had a good game that night.

“He gave me a little bit of a jokey comment of ‘do you fancy coming back?’ So I was like ‘yeah, yeah, of course, no problem’. And it’s funny how things work out. I just don’t think either of us thought that would’ve ever have been a possibility.

“But I suppose maybe he thought, with my experience, and my experience of the club before, and the relationship I had with everyone here, it wouldn’t be a problem for me at this stage of my career, coming in and settling in. I’m feeling part of it and being able to provide something.

“You know, I’m quite aware of my role and that is to provide cover for the other centre-backs and support the team in a different way to maybe what I’ve been used to, but I’ve just got to be ready when I can to basically try to help the team and help this club to push on.”

With Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Jarrad Branthwaite also being targeted, it is extremely unlikely that Evans’ role on the pitch will be as prominent. But he could have value and importance behind the scenes.

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