Paul Evans (footballer, born 1974)

Paul Evans
Personal information
Full name Paul Simon Evans[1]
Date of birth (1974-09-01) 1 September 1974
Place of birth Oswestry, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Leeds United (Sports Massage Therapist)
Youth career
Oswestry Boys Club
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Shrewsbury Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1999 Shrewsbury Town 199 (26)
1999–2002 Brentford 130 (31)
2002–2004 Bradford City 42 (5)
2003 → Blackpool (loan) 10 (1)
2004 → Nottingham Forest (loan) 1 (0)
2004–2006 Nottingham Forest 46 (4)
2005 → Rotherham United (loan) 4 (0)
2006–2007 Swindon Town 15 (3)
2007–2008 Bradford City 25 (0)
2008–2009 Oxford United 3 (0)
2009 Halifax Town 0 (0)
2009–2010 Farsley Celtic
Total 475 (70)
National team
1992 Wales U18 4 (2)
1995 Wales U21 4 (1)
2002 Wales 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Paul Simon Evans (born 1 September 1974) is an English-born former Welsh international football footballer. Evans played in the centre or on the right of midfield. He is currently Sports Massage Therapist as part of the backroom staff at Leeds United.

Career

Born in Oswestry, Evans started his career from Shrewsbury Town and got signed professionally in 1993 when he was 19 years old.[1] He went on to make 238 appearances for the Gay Meadow club and scored 36 goals.[3] West London club Brentford signed him for £110,000 in March 1999.[3] It was while at Brentford that Evans famously scored goals in consecutive games from the halfway line, first at home to Preston North End, then at Burnley.[4] During his time at Brentford, Evans gained his first Wales cap and the attention of higher-division clubs.[4] He played 155 games for the club, all in the starting XI.[3] He managed to hit the net 34 times.[3]

It was Bradford City who got his signature when they signed him to a four year-contract on a free transfer from Brentford.[5] He made 21 appearances in his first season with them and scored two goals.[6] He was later loaned out to Blackpool for a couple of months, where he made 10 appearances, scoring once.[3] When he returned to Bradford he forced his way into the first team due to a few of the usual performers being injured. He played another 25 games and scored another three goals.[7] After the regulars returned to full fitness, he was loaned out again, this time to Nottingham Forest.

After one appearance at the City Ground, Forest paid £25,000 for his services on a permanent basis.[3] He proved to be a bargain buy as he was one of the best performers in Joe Kinnear's side that was relegated at the end of the 2004–05 season. Evans is remembered at the City Ground for his goal against West Ham United shortly after Brian Clough had died. This goal set Forest on the way to victory. Shortly before their relegation, Gary Megson took charge of Forest, and in the 2005–06 season he was frozen out of Megson's plans.

After 45 appearances and four goals in his first full season with Forest,[8] Evans was not allowed to play reserve-team football and lost his fitness as a result. Then-Rotherham United boss and former Forest caretaker boss Mick Harford took him on loan to help regain his fitness.[9] After only four appearances with the Millers, he suffered a knee injury.

When Megson left Forest and Ian McParland and Frank Barlow took charge, Evans continued training with Forest again and played a few reserve games; however, he was released at the end of the season.[10]

In July 2006, Evans was given a trial by Swindon Town boss Dennis Wise. He made his first appearance for the Town in a 1–1 draw against Reading and was subsequently offered a one-year deal, which he accepted.[11] Evans soon became an integral part of Swindon's midfield, scoring a number of vital goals including a 40-yard free kick against Wrexham.

He returned to Bradford City in summer 2007, three years after leaving Valley Parade.[12] On 29 April 2008, Evans was deemed to be surplus to requirements at Valley Parade and was released by manager Stuart McCall along with 13 other Bradford players.[13]

He had trials with fellow League Two sides Darlington[14] and Morecambe, as well as Oxford United of the Conference National, who he joined on a short-term contract in September 2008.[15] He played three games for Oxford but was released in January 2009.[16] He joined Halifax Town later the same month along with fellow Bradford City player David Brown.[17] He made his debut against Wakefield as Halifax won 4–1, with Evans helping to make one goal and hitting the crossbar.[18]

In August 2009, he joined Farsley Celtic.[19]

Coaching

After retiring as a player, Evans currently works at Leeds United as part of the sports science backroom team.[20]

Personal life

Evans is a Liverpool supporter.[4]

Honours

As a player

Brentford

Shrewsbury Town

As an individual

References

  1. 1 2 "Barry Hugman's Footballers – Paul Evans". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. ↑ Hugman, Barry J. (ed) (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Paul Evans | Football Stats | No Club | Age 43 | 1993–2009 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Brentford Football Club". Archived from the original on 11 August 2002. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  5. ↑ "Brentford | News | Latest News | Latest News | EVO MAKES IT FIVE". world.brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "Paul Evans | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2002/2003 | 1993–2009 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "Paul Evans | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2003/2004 | 1993–2009 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "Paul Evans | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2004/2005 | 1993–2009 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Evans seals Rotherham loan switch". 18 November 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "Coca-Cola League One". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "Swindon sign ex-Forest man Evans". 1 August 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "Bradford City | News | Breaking News | Breaking News | Paul Evans set to put pen to paper". world.bradfordcityfc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  13. ↑ "Bradford City | News | Breaking News | Breaking News | Unlucky thirteen released". world.bradfordcityfc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  14. ↑ Stoddart, Craig (29 July 2008). "Penney handing trialists a chance to impress". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  15. ↑ "Evans joins Oxford until January". BBC Sport. 12 September 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
  16. ↑ "Harriers midfielder leaves club". BBC Sport. 14 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  17. ↑ "Wakefield v FC Halifax Town: Two in, one out at the Shay". Halifax Courier. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  18. ↑ Evans left FC Halifax in the summer"Wakefield FC v FC Halifax Town: Stott at the double". Halifax Courier. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  19. ↑ "Paul Evans Transfer History". Sky Sports. 1 May 2008.
  20. ↑ "Brentford FC Familiar Faces: Leeds United". Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  21. ↑ "Paul Evans | Football Stats | No Club | Season 1998/1999 | 1993–2009 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  22. ↑ "Football Club History Database – Brentford". www.fchd.info. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  23. ↑ Cox, Lewis. "Ex-stars back Shrewsbury Town to equal club record". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  24. ↑ "Brentford | News | Latest News | Latest News | EVO SELECTED TO PFA SECOND DIVISION SIDE". world.brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  25. ↑ Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2013). The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 295. ISBN 9781906796723.
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