George Evans’ two-and-a-half-year stay with Derby County came to an end on transfer deadline day as the 26-year-old signed for fellow Championship outfit Millwall.
Primarily signing as a midfielder under Frank Lampard, Evans’ defensive duties were upped throughout his spell with the Rams, more or less transitioning to a stand-in centre-back towards the end of his time in the East Midlands.
Evans, who is a product of the Manchester City academy, made his debut for the Lions at the weekend, featuring for the entirety of the match as his new side eased past Sheffield Wednesday 4-1.
Despite making just three appearances under Wayne Rooney, Evans was full of compliments for the managerial newbie as reported by News at Den.
“He’s fantastic, I can’t speak highly enough of him. The turnover for him going into management was fantastic, I fully enjoyed my time there” stated Evans. “It’s a great place. He was in full communication with me when all of this was going on, he was fully supportive.
“He told me my game time might be a bit limited. When he came in he got a few good results and I started playing as well. I’ve got nothing but good words to say about him and I think he’s going to be a great manager.”
“He’s had the best career, we watched him as kids growing up and who better to learn from? In terms of man-management he’s a great guy, he’ll tell you what you’re doing well, what you need to improve on. He was very clear in his messages to me and I found that really good.”
So there you have it, a glowing reference from recently departed Evans and a little more insight into what Rooney is really like behind the scenes at Moore Farm.
Having had such a glorious playing career, it is no surprise that all eyes are fixed on England’s all-time top goalscorer as he takes his first steps into management. Whether or not he can reach similar heights as gaffer himself, we shall have to wait and see.