Rhys Karl Evans (born 27 January 1982) is an English former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...
and goalkeeper coach. He played as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting ...
, who won two
England under-21 caps.
Born in
Swindon
Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon unitary authority area had a population ...
,
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
, he began his career with
Chelsea, where he stayed five years without playing a game, but had loan spells at three other clubs. In 2003, he moved to his hometown club
Swindon Town, where he ended up playing more than 100 games in three seasons. In his final season at Swindon, he won all the club's player of the season awards, but following their relegation to
Football League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football L ...
, he turned down a new contract offer and instead signed for
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
. However, he fell out of favour after less than a year with Blackpool, and initially moved to
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes.
Th ...
on loan, before he returned to London, with
Millwall on a short-term contract. After his contract was not extended, he returned to Bradford City. Despite keeping 17 clean sheets, he left at the end of his first season and moved on to
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...
and
Southend United.
Club career
Chelsea
Evans started his career in 1998 at
Chelsea, with whom he stayed until he was released 2003, having never played a single game. During his time at the club he was sent out on loan to
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...
in February 2000, with whom he played four games;
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
from November 2001 to April 2002, making eleven appearances; and
Leyton Orient from August to November 2002, playing seven games. He also had a spell on trial with
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a r ...
before the start of the
2002–03 season, where he impressed, but instead opted to join Leyton Orient.
Swindon Town
In August 2003, Evans attracted interest from another Premier League club
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pik ...
, but instead joined his local club,
Swindon Town, on a free transfer.
[
] He made his debut for the club on 12 August 2003, in a
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
match at
Southend United, which Swindon won 3–2. His league debut came on 30 August 2003, in a 2–2 draw against
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
. He remained the club's first-choice goalkeeper for the rest of the
2003–04 season, missing just one match with a back injury. The following season,
2004–05, Evans remained the club's first-choice goalkeeper until April 2005 when he was dropped for the first time after a match against
Luton Town, although he was installed back in the team after just one match out. With his contract running out at the end of the season he turned down a move to
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
and instead signed a one-year contract extension with Swindon.
The
2005–06 season began for Evans with a knee injury, when he was forced to play early matches in pain as the club had no back-up goalkeeper available. When Swindon signed
Tom Heaton on loan from
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
until 2 January 2006, it allowed Evans to have exploratory surgery on the knee. He also spent time at
Lilleshall rehabilitation centre before his comeback to the first team in late 2005, when he again established himself. The season ended in relegation for Swindon Town to
Football League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football L ...
, and Evans won a clean sweep of all the club's "player of the season" awards.
Blackpool
With his contract again up at the end of the season, new Swindon manager
Dennis Wise, offered Evans a one-year contract, which Evans turned down as he wished to play at a higher level than League Two. On 1 July 2006, he signed a two-year contract with Blackpool on a free transfer.
Evans made 39 consecutive appearances in the
2006–07 league season. On 27 February 2006, he was dropped by Blackpool manager
Simon Grayson in favour of then on-loan
Paul Rachubka for a match at
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The history of Oldham Athletic be ...
, in which Rachubka kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win.
In April 2007, Evans picked up a hernia injury that required surgery. This kept him out of the side until May. Both the on-loan Rachubka and Blackpool's third-choice keeper,
Lewis Edge, also suffered concurrent injuries, which led to Blackpool bringing in
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
's
Joe Hart
Charles Joseph John Hart (born 19 April 1987) known professionally simply as Joe Hart is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Celtic.
He began his career at his hometown club Shrewsbury T ...
on loan as an emergency stand-in.
Following promotion to the
Football League Championship
The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the E ...
Rachubka, who by then had signed permanently for the club, remained the first-choice goalkeeper. Evans' only appearances in the first part of the
2007–08 season came in the League Cup against
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
club
Derby County on 28 August 2007, which Blackpool won on penalties after the game ended 2–2 in extra time, and then in the next round of the same competition against Southend United which Blackpool won 2–1 after extra time.
On 5 October 2007, Blackpool sent Evans on a month's loan to League Two club
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes.
Th ...
in order to help him resurrect his career. He made his debut for Bradford against
Milton Keynes Dons, his first start in the league since February.
However, after just four games, he returned to Blackpool following an injury to his left shoulder, sustained in a 1–1 draw with
Grimsby Town on 27 October 2007.
While he was at Bradford, Evans had created controversy after publicly criticising the Blackpool fans in an interview with the ''
Telegraph & Argus''.
He was warned by Blackpool manager Simon Grayson that he would have to accept "whatever comes his way" when he returned to Blackpool.
Millwall
On 22 January 2008, Evans signed for
Millwall on a free transfer until the end of the 2007–08 season.
He conceded two late goals on his Millwall debut as they lost a two-goal lead to draw 2–2 with
Nottingham Forest. Evans played 21 league games and one FA Cup game for Millwall during the season, and although Millwall eventually avoided
relegation
In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open league ...
, manager
Kenny Jackett
Kenneth Francis Jackett (born 5 January 1962) is a former professional football player and manager, who is currently Director of Football at club Gillingham.
A skilful left-footed player, able to play in defence or midfield, Jackett was cappe ...
decided not to extend Evans' contract beyond the 2007–08 season.
Bradford City
In July 2008, he was given another chance to shine at Bradford City when he was offered a trial by manager
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall (born 10 June 1964) is a professional football coach and former player. He is assistant manager at Sheffield United.
McCall played in a total of 763 league games and in 40 full international matches for Scotl ...
. He played several pre-season friendlies, before he signed a one-year contract on 1 August 2008 ahead of the
2008–09 season. Evans made his debut in the opening game of the season as City won 2–1 against
Notts County when he pulled off a number of saves to ensure victory. He was a regular in the City side ahead of understudy
Jonathan McLaughlin and earned praise from his manager McCall for one save against
Rotherham United, which earned comparison to one made by former
England international
The England national football team has represented England in international football since the first international match in 1872. It is controlled by The Football Association (FA), the governing body for football in England, which is affilia ...
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing for Arsenal. He won 75 caps for England, and is the country' ...
. At the turn of the year, Evans kept four consecutive clean sheets—one short of a club record—before he conceded a deflected free-kick against
Accrington Stanley. The run of form prompted Evans to seek a longer contract with the club. The 2008–09 season also saw Evans break his personal record for clean sheets in a season. Evans was an ever-present in the City team during league and cup and was expected to miss his first game in February after he injured his thigh in a game against
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town.
In the 19th century, Darlington underw ...
. However, after reserve keeper Jonathan McLaughlin suffered concussion in a reserve game, Evans continued to play with a thigh strain. He was released from his contract on 6 May 2009 after the club had to lower the wage budget
Bristol Rovers
Evans had a trial with
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...
, eventually signing a short-term contract. This is his second spell at Rovers, having featured in 2000 on loan from Chelsea. He made his second debut against
Aldershot Town in the First Round of the League Cup. He let in one from a penalty, although he also made several vital saves to secure Rovers' passage through. He played because
Steve Phillips
Stephen Francis Phillips (born May 18, 1963) is an American baseball analyst and former baseball executive. He served as the general manager of the New York Mets from 1997 through 2003. He worked as a baseball analyst for ESPN from 2005 until h ...
was in Turkey discussing a move there but rejected a contract and Newcastle would not let
Fraser Forster
Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Forster started his career with Newcastle United and had brief loan spells with Stockport ...
play as he is on loan from the Magpies. He also played in the following round's tie at
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
, as Forster was cup-tied and
Steve Phillips
Stephen Francis Phillips (born May 18, 1963) is an American baseball analyst and former baseball executive. He served as the general manager of the New York Mets from 1997 through 2003. He worked as a baseball analyst for ESPN from 2005 until h ...
has been put on the transfer list, a 2–1 league defeat at
Wycombe and a JPT defeat at Hereford.
On the 2009 transfer deadline day, he signed a new one-year-deal,
Evans made eight appearances in total for Rovers, including four cup outings, before being released along with 14 other players at the end of the 2009/10 season.
Southend United
On 22 July 2010, Evans signed a one-year contract with
Southend United. At the start of the season, Evans found himself second choice behind
Glenn Morris
Glenn Edgar Morris (June 18, 1912 – January 31, 1974) was a U.S. track and field athlete. He won a gold medal in the Olympic decathlon in 1936, setting new world and Olympic records. He attended Colorado A&M
— now known as Colorado State U ...
. He made his debut in the Football League Trophy game against Gillingham on 31 August 2010. Evans had to wait until 1 January 2011, to make his league debut for the club in a 2–0 victory over Oxford United.
Evans was told that he would not receive a further deal at Southend in May 2011, one of five players to be released by the club.
Staines Town
Evans spent part of the 2011–12 campaign following his release training with
Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-professi ...
side
Forest Green Rovers. He then joined
Conference South
The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
outfit
Staines Town and remained at the club until the end of the 2011–12 season.
Exeter City
On 18 June 2012,
Exeter City announced Evans had signed for the club on a one-year contract. On 30 April 2013, he was released by the Exeter due to the expiry of his contract.
Hereford United
Evans agreed to join
Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'Th ...
on 1 August 2013 following a successful trial.
Coaching career
On 21 May 2015, The Hereford Times reported that Evans had agreed to join
Hereford
Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester, England, Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. ...
as a coach, taking coaching sessions once a week.
During his time with the Bulls he played for
Wimborne Town alongside his coaching responsibilities. Evans was registered as a player at Edgar Street in March 2018. He left the club in October 2018, shortly after the departure of
Peter Beadle
Peter Clifford William James Beadle (born 13 May 1972) is an English football manager and former player who was recently manager of club Yate Town.
A former player, Beadle played as a forward and he scored some 83 goals in 355 league games, ...
.
In February 2019, Evans signed for
Hellenic Football League
The Hellenic Football League, currently known as the Uhlsport Hellenic Football League for sponsorship reasons, is an English men's football league covering an area including the English counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, southern ...
side
Royal Wootton Bassett Town. In June 2019, he joined
Swindon Supermarine
Swindon Supermarine Football Club is a semi-professional association football, football club based in South Marston, near Swindon, England. The club plays in the and is affiliated to the Wiltshire Football Association. The club plays at Webbsw ...
as goalkeeping coach. He has also coached at
Salisbury
Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath.
Salisbury is in the southeast of ...
.
On 1 October 2020, Evans joined
Barnet as goalkeeping coach, once again linking up with Peter Beadle and
Steve Jenkins
Stephen Robert Jenkins (born 16 July 1972) is a former Wales international footballer. A full back, he won 16 Welsh caps between 1995 and 2001.
He began his career at Swansea, where he was a part of the team that won the 1994 Football League ...
. He left in December 2020 following Beadle's departure.
International career
Evans represented England at Under 18 and Under 20 level, before he made his debut for the
England Under 21 team in 2003 against
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
but was stretchered off with a back injury to be replaced by
Stephen Bywater
Stephen Michael Bywater (born 7 June 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
He has made appearances for thirteen clubs, most notably for Derby County, where he made over 150 appearances and won the 200 ...
.
In September 2003, he declined a second chance to play for the Under 21s preferring to work on establishing himself as Swindon Town first-choice goalkeeper.
Honours
;Blackpool
*
League One play-off final winner:
2006–07
References
External links
*
Swindon Town unofficial site biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Rhys
1982 births
Sportspeople from Swindon
Living people
Association football goalkeepers
English footballers
England under-21 international footballers
Chelsea F.C. players
Bristol Rovers F.C. players
Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
Leyton Orient F.C. players
Swindon Town F.C. players
Blackpool F.C. players
Bradford City A.F.C. players
Millwall F.C. players
Southend United F.C. players
Staines Town F.C. players
Exeter City F.C. players
English Football League players
National League (English football) players
Southern Football League players
Hereford United F.C. players
Wimborne Town F.C. players
Hereford F.C. players
Barnet F.C. non-playing staff