Jonny Evans on Manchester United job cuts: ‘It is difficult to see’

Jonny Evans has spoken of his sadness at seeing so many Manchester United staff at risk of losing their jobs.

Around 250 employees, including a number of academy coaches, are set to be made redundant in the coming weeks as part of a huge cost-cutting drive under new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Evans says the news has been “hard and difficult” to swallow and cast something of a shadow over the club’s pre-season tour of the US.

The United defender has had a near 30-year association with the club and has fostered close relationships with an array of staff members over that time.

Evans’ wife Helen has worked for MUTV, United’s official television station, for the past 14 years, and his father, Jackie, was once an academy coach at the club.

His younger brother Corry also spent several years in United’s academy before leaving for Hull City in 2011.

Evans was not passing judgment on the tough decisions being taken by Ratcliffe and the new hierarchy at Old Trafford but admitted the prospect of job cuts had “not been easy for everyone”.

“I think they’ve got an idea of how they want the structure but as someone who’s been at the club a long time – [even though] I had a spell away – a lot of people have lost their jobs this last couple of weeks and it’s been hard and difficult to see,” said Evans, 36, who signed a one-year contract extension this month.

“The new owners feel that’s the direction that they want to go. But, you know, it’s not been easy for everyone at the same time.

“I mean, there are people you’ve known for 20 years and I think the timing of it happened when we came away on tour pretty much. So we were all a bit in the dark and I’m sure everything will be sorted out, things will be a bit more clear when we get back.

“But it’s been a difficult thing to see – people I’ve known for a long, long time. One thing about working in a club like Man United, you’re all in and everyone’s always been all in, it’s a massive staff. But I think that’s just been the culture of the club.

“For a club of such a huge size and the staff turnover, you have family members working there. People [who work there] are married and my wife has been working at the club, my brother has been at the club, my dad’s been at the club.

“So it’s always had that feeling of people giving everything they have for the club and it’s such a huge credit to them. That’s just because they love the place so much.”

Evans – who joined United as a young boy before leaving in 2015 and then returning last summer – says the players have always enjoyed strong connections with the staff and that it is no different now.

“I think that’s always been the beauty of the club,” he said. “We’ve always had that connection with our staff. I think the fact that the club is built on the academy also has a big part in that because [a lot of] players have been there for such a long time, from a young age, and have always sort of set the culture.

“And the staff that have been there the whole way through, they promoted them through the club. People who worked with the ticket office moved through departments. So I think that’s just been the nature of the culture, how it’s always been built and it’s a huge plus for the club. We want to maintain that as much as possible.”

Asked if the players had been discussing the impending changes, Evans added: “Yeah, of course. Certain staff members being here, they’re friends, people that they’ve worked with, colleagues for a long time and I’m sure they’ll be feeling that. There’s no doubt about that.”

Evans says the new hierarchy Ratcliffe has been pulling together have been very amenable but hopes all the upheaval settles down.

“They’ve been very approachable and are always trying to make conversations, and I’m sure they want to make connections with the players too,” he said.

“There’s sort of so much upheaval at the club at the minute and they’re still getting their foot in the door … I’m sure they want to put their own protocols in place and ways of doing things. So there’s a lot of things to be sorted still.

“I’m sure they’re excited for the season to start, but also looking forward to getting their own way of working.”