Where does Evans rank for longest gap between goals?

Jonny Evans scoring for Manchester United? When have we seen that before?

No, not that one which got ruled out against Burnley last season, but almost 11 years ago against Sunderland!

Since the inaugural Premier League began in 1992/93, our much-loved defender now has the second-longest gap between goals for United. He sits one place behind Cristiano Ronaldo when the superstar’s departure to Real Madrid in 2009 was followed by a historical return against Newcastle United, as Old Trafford saw a legend wear the red shirt again at the Theatre of Dreams.

Evans’s last United goal Video

Evans’s last United goal

This was the last time Jonny Evans scored for the Reds, before his header at Spurs…

The Northern Irishman’s previous effort came against Sunderland, all the way back in January 2014, in the League Cup semi-final second leg, at Old Trafford.

Coincidentally, it was two headers in two frenzied games in the competition which featured Jonny’s last two goals. Unfortunately, neither result went our way as we exited the tournament on both occasions.

Evans’s previous goal came for former club Leicester City, away to Napoli in the Europa League. The Foxes lost 3-2 in December 2021.

The centre-back’s opener in the 37th minute back in 2014, was enough to level the League Cup semi-final on aggregate and take Gus Poyet’s Black Cats to extra-time (as the first leg ended in a 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light). Danny Welbeck helped a corner on and Evans was there, loitering at the back post, to simply nod the ball home in front of the East Stand.

There were no further goals until ex-United defender, and now MUTV pundit, Phil Bardsley, put the north-east side ahead on aggregate in the 119th minute, only for Javier Hernandez to hit back almost instantly, converting Januzai’s cross in the dying embers which took the semi-final to a penalty shootout.

Only three of the 10 penalties taken were converted, but the away side came away victorious, as a young Marcos Alonso (on loan from Fiorentina) and Ki Sung-yueng scored from the spot for Sunderland and only Darren Fletcher converted for the Reds.

Fast forward 10 years and 332 days, and Evans came on as a substitute for an injured Victor Lindelof in the 44th minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. His brave header was merely a consolation goal in the end for United and Evans, as Son Heung-min’s effort directly from a corner widened the margin between the sides to two, just a few minutes prior.

With too little time remaining on the clock, our Academy graduate glanced Amad’s cross into the far corner, adding his name to the record books.

See Jonny Evans’s header against Tottenham on Thursday night.

LONGEST GAP  BETWEEN GOALS FOR UNITED

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 12 years 124 days
(10/5/09 v Man City | 11/9/21 v Newcastle)

2. Jonny Evans – 10 years 332 days
(22/1/14 v Sunderland | 19/12/24 v Tottenham)

3. Phil Jones – 5 years 324 days
(8/3/14 v West Brom | 26/1/20 v Tranmere)

4. Rio Ferdinand – 5 years 120 days
(12/1/08 v Newcastle | 12/5/13 v Swansea)

5. Patrice Evra – 3 years 224 days
(10/4/07 v Roma | 20/11/20 v Wigan)

Since the start of the Premier League, courtesy of Opta.

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