 Evans playing forFleetwood Town in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gareth Charles Evans[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-04-26)26 April 1988 (age 37) | ||
| Place of birth | Macclesfield, England[2] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Radcliffe | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1995 | Crewe Alexandra | ||
| 1995–2002 | Manchester United | ||
| 2002–2006 | Crewe Alexandra | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | Crewe Alexandra | 0 | (0) |
| 2006 | →Leigh RMI (loan) | ||
| 2007 | →Alsager Town (loan) | ||
| 2007–2009 | Macclesfield Town | 82 | (19) |
| 2009–2011 | Bradford City | 79 | (14) |
| 2011–2013 | Rotherham United | 45 | (9) |
| 2013–2015 | Fleetwood Town | 93 | (10) |
| 2015–2020 | Portsmouth | 173 | (32) |
| 2020–2022 | Bradford City | 47 | (3) |
| 2022– | Radcliffe | 15 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12:03, 3 January 2023 (UTC) | |||
Gareth Charles Evans (born 26 April 1988) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as awinger forRadcliffe. He can also play as amidfielder and atright back.
Evans began his career as a youth player with bothManchester United andCrewe Alexandra. He went professional in 2006, but struggled to break into the Crewe first team and went on loans toLeigh RMI in 2006, andAlsager Town in 2007, then moved to his hometown club,Macclesfield Town in that same year. He signed forBradford City in 2009, before he left them to sign for Yorkshire rivalsRotherham United in June 2011. Evans joined Fleetwood Town on the opening day of the 2013 January transfer window following his departure from Rotherham. Evans signed for Portsmouth FC on 28 July 2015.
Born inMacclesfield, Evans started his career withManchester United as part of the youth setup.
Despite being touted as a future star byAlex Ferguson he decided to re-joinCrewe Alexandra underDario Gradi due to their excellent record for mentoring youth players. He had previously been with Crewe from the age of seven before joining Manchester United where he stayed until 14 years of age.
Due to the relegation of Crewe in 2005–06 season and the judgement of the new Manager,Steve Holland, Evans was released by the club.
After leaving Crewe, Evans played in thePFAexit trials and joinedPort Vale underMartin Foyle. He scored and impressed in pre-season for them and went on the pre-season tour, but as Foyle had already signed several players that summer, no budget was available for younger inexperienced players. As a result, however, he was recommended toIan Brightwell atMacclesfield Town so that he could gain experience ofleague football. Evans signed for theLeague Two side during the 2007–08 season. He was given the number 26 jersey. Still just 20, he became a first team regular scoring twelve goals and with a number of assists including a goal at West Ham in the League Cup. His energy and work rate made him a big hit with the Macclesfield fans.
On 1 July 2009,Bradford signed Evans from Macclesfield for an undisclosed fee believed to be £30,000. He made his debut on the opening day of the season, coming on as a second-half substitute against eventual league winnersNotts County.[4] He scored his first Bradford goal in a 5–4 away win toCheltenham.[5] In November during a 1–1 home draw againstAccrington, Evans missed a last minute penalty, that hit a fan in the lower tier of the stand behind the goal, knocking them to the ground.[6] He finished his first season with the Bantams with 11 goals, including two braces in wins againstTorquay andNorthampton.[7] The first goal in the match against Northampton was nominated for Mitre Goal of the Year and finished in the top 10.[8] His finished his second season with three goals, coming in wins againstStevenage,Stockport andLincoln.[9] He was released by Bradford at the end of the season, and signed forYorkshire neighbours andLeague Two rivalsRotherham United on 3 June 2011.[10]
He scored two goals on his debut for the Millers againstPlymouth, as Rotherham won 4–1.[11] He scored again in two home wins againstGillingham andDagenham, and then in successive away draws againstMorecambe and Northampton. He returned to face former club Bradford for the first time in November, however he was injured after just 12 minutes and had to be substituted.[12] On 28 April 2012, he scored a penalty in a 2–2 draw againstAldershot Town.[13] His first two goals of the following season came against former club Bradford on 1 September 2012.[14]
On 1 January 2013, Evans moved to League Two sideFleetwood Town on a free transfer.[15] He scored his first goal for the club on 23 March, in a 2–1 win againstDagenham & Redbridge.[16]
On 28 July 2015, Evans completed a move to League Two side Portsmouth on a one-year deal.[17] In his first season, Evans was a regular choice as the right-winger inPaul Cook's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation; playing as a more traditional wide-player thanKyle Bennett on the opposite flank, hugging the touchline, getting crosses into the box and seeking to provide a goalscoring threat. Evans managed to scored 10 League goals as he racked up 48 appearances in all competitions.
Despite a summer overhaul by the manager, during whichCarl Baker was brought in to challenge for Evans' spot, and the resurgence ofKal Naismith, Evans remained a key member of the Portsmouth squad in the 2016/17 promotion campaign. Though the midfielder missed pre-season with an injury sustained in the previous campaign's playoff semi-final, upon his return Evans quickly established himself in the first-team in a new position: at right-back. Evans successfully kept natural right-back and summer signingDrew Talbot on the bench throughout the season, as Portsmouth claimed promotion via the League Two Championship, making more than 40 appearances across all competitions and establishing himself as the team's first-choice penalty taker.
On 18 May 2017 Evans signed a new 2-year contract at Portsmouth, keeping him at the club until 2019.[18] During the 2018–2019 season, Evans primarily has started as amidfielder under managerKenny Jackett, playing behind wingersJamal Lowe andRonan Curtis.[19] In the 2017-18 league one season, Evans played vice-captain role toBrett Pitman. In the 2018–19 season, with the inconsistent form of Pitman, Evans has become the squads' first-choice captain.[20]
On 25 September 2020, Evans left Portsmouth by mutual consent, after spending 5 seasons at the club, appearing 173 times, (more than any other Portsmouth player sinceLinvoy Primus in 2009), and netting 32 goals.[21]
Not long after leaving Portsmouth, on 25 September 2020, Evans returned toBradford City on a free transfer after he left Portsmouth by mutual consent, signing a two-year contract.[22][23] Evans departed the club upon the expiration of this contract, at the end of the2021–22 season.[24]
On 10 September 2022, Evans signed forNorthern Premier League Premier Division clubRadcliffe.[25][26]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Macclesfield Town | 2007–08 | League Two | 42 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 7 |
| 2008–09 | League Two | 40 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 13 | |
| Total | 82 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 89 | 20 | ||
| Bradford City | 2009–10 | League Two | 43 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 11 |
| 2010–11 | League Two | 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 3 | |
| Total | 79 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 85 | 14 | ||
| Rotherham United | 2011–12 | League Two | 32 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 7 |
| 2012–13 | League Two | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 2 | |
| Total | 45 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 9 | ||
| Fleetwood Town | 2012–13 | League Two | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| 2013–14 | League Two | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 45 | 7 | |
| 2014–15 | League One | 43 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 46 | 4 | |
| Total | 93 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 107 | 12 | ||
| Portsmouth | 2015–16 | League Two | 40 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 10 |
| 2016–17 | League Two | 41 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 6 | |
| 2017–18 | League One | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 37 | 3 | |
| 2018–19 | League One | 42 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 56 | 13 | |
| 2019–20 | League One | 17 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 5 | |
| 2020–21 | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 173 | 32 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 4 | 218 | 38 | ||
| Bradford City | 2020–21 | League Two | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 |
| 2021–22 | League Two | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| Total | 47 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 519 | 87 | 25 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 38 | 5 | 600 | 96 | ||
Rotherham United
Fleetwood Town
Portsmouth
