JONNY EVANS put in a starring performance as Manchester United edged a 1-0 win over Burnley.
The central defender made his second full debut for the Red Devils as he replaced the injured Lisandro Martinez in the starting xi for last night’s clash at Turf Moor.
GettyJonny Evans described his second full Man Utd debut as ‘the best night of my life’[/caption]
GettyThe 35-year-old reached 200 United appearances as he grabbed a stunning assist[/caption]
A breakdown of Evans’ performance by numbers
Evans put in an imperious defensive display and played a stunning pass for Bruno Fernandes to score a remarkable winner on the volley.
The 35-year-old even had the ball in the net after a bullet first-half header, but saw the goal ruled out for an offside call against Rasmus Hojlund.
Following his man-of-the-match display, Evans’ name was rang out by the travelling United faithful.
Asked about his performance, a jubilant Evans declared: “I loved every minute of it.
“Coming up here on the bus I was buzzing. That was my 200th game for Man United.
“I never thought I would ever reach that figure – it’s the best night of my life.”
Evans had initially departed Old Trafford for West Brom in 2015.
He then found himself at Leicester three years later, before running down his contract over the summer and landing a one-year deal at Man Utd this season.
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He continued: “When you get to a certain age you start to wind down your career.
“I got the call from United and didn’t have another option, so I just took it and tried to do my best in training and take my chance.
“I was told my role would be to provide competition and that is how I have approached it. With a few injuries I then had the chance to start tonight.”
The Northern Irishman’s stunning assist saw him dubbed “the second coming of Paul Scholes” by United fans.
United captain Fernandes was also full of praise for his team-mate after his winner.
He said: “It was a great pass from Jonny. I know he has great qualities playing the ball in behind with both feet.
“I was waiting for it [the pass]. Burnley give space behind but it was tough to get that at times and we took the chance when it was there.”
Rio Ferdinand – who played alongside Evans at United between 2008 and 2014 – described his performance as “outstanding”.
The win has propelled United in the top half of the table, at least until Sunday’s fixtures get underway.
They face Crystal Palace at Old Trafford next Saturday, but will first face the Eagles in the League Cup on Tuesday as Erik ten Hag looks to win the trophy for the second season running.
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