United defender Jonny Evans may only be 21 but he's
already being rated as one of the best British centre-backs
around.
Reds team-mate Rio Ferdinand has tipped the Belfast
boy to go on and captain Northern Ireland; Evans could earn his
16th international cap on Saturday when Nigel Worthington’s men
welcome Poland to Windsor Park.
The youngster’s rise to prominence and ice-cool composure on the
pitch has been well documented this season. His performances have
even drawn the odd comparison to the senior members of the Reds’
rearguard, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
“I don’t like to compare myself to those guys,” Evans told
ManUtd.com.
“I look at certain aspects of their game – Vidic is unbelievable in
the air and competes for every ball, which is something I’d like to
add to my game. Meanwhile, Rio is so composed: he makes things look
easy, rarely does he look fazed in a game.
"People will always make comparisons, but I just try to concentrate
on the things I’m good at."
Of Evans' 21 starts this season, nine have been alongside Rio,
eight alongside Vida and three alongside Gary Neville in the heart
of the Reds’ back four. As you’d expect, the As you
might expect, the approach Evans takes onto the pitch is
dictated by his central defensive partner.
“When Vidic is beside me I usually let him attack the ball. I
sometimes let Rio do that too but he's so quick and is a great
reader of the game, so I tend to attack the ball a bit more when
I’m with him. I definitely try and adjust my game depending on
who's next to me.
“There are no two better defenders in the world than the two we
have here. We have a good balance here with Rio, who is like the
Rolls-Royce, and Vidic, who attacks the ball so well.
“But I try to learn things from everyone. Wes Brown is a great
competitor, for example, and can play anywhere across the back
four.”
