Ched Evans
Encyclopedia
Chedwyn Michael "Ched" Evans (born 28 December 1988) is a Wales international
footballer currently playing as a striker for Sheffield United
.
Born in St Asaph
, Denbighshire
Evans was an inexperienced youth striker with Manchester City
, when he arrived at Norwich City
on loan in 2007. He made a major impact during his time at Carrow Road
, scoring 10 goals in 28 league appearances, before returning to his parent club. He was subsequently sold to Sheffield United for £3m in 2009. Evans scored on his début for Wales in 2008, and has so far scored twice in his 13 appearances.
John Reardon. Evans spent several years scoring many goals in Chester City
's youth set-up before it folded. He scored the winning goal in the Nathan Fennah Memorial game at the Deva Stadium in Chester City's U12s' 1–0 win against Wigan
U12s. Evans played and starred for Moss Valley Rovers in many summer tournaments in the North West. Manchester City
signed him, on Reardon's advice, in 2002 following the collapse of Chester City's youth system. Contrary to some reports, he was never at Manchester United
's youth system on trial or otherwise.
In the 2006–07 season, Evans scored 16 goals in 23 starts at Academy level, and a further six in 10 starts in the Premier Reserve League. He was also in the side that reached the final of the 2006 FA Youth Cup
where they lost to Liverpool.
In September 2007, Evans came off the bench to make his senior début in City’s 1–0 Carling Cup
victory against Norwich City
. On 21 November, Evans moved to Norwich City on loan until 1 January 2008. He made his début for the Canaries the following week when he came on as a substitute in the 3–1 victory over Blackpool
. His first goal for the club came just two minutes into his first start in the 2–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle
on 4 December. Evans returned to Manchester City after 1 January when the loan deal expired.
Initially, Norwich manager Glenn Roeder
's attempts to extend the loan were refused, however, on 10 January, the club announced that Evans would return to Norwich on loan until 26 February, with Manchester City initially able to recall him after 6 February, however, after talks between the two clubs at the end of January 2008, it was announced that Evans would be staying with the Carrow Road
club until the end of the season
. Then-manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
stated he had no plans to sell Evans and that he would not be sold in the summer window. By the end of his loan spell, he had notched up 10 goals from 20 starts and eight substitute appearances — an impressive ratio in a struggling Norwich side.
Evans made his Premiership début for Manchester City on 18 August, on the opening game of the season, against Aston Villa
. He wasn't chosen for the starting eleven, but replaced Valeri Bojinov
, who suffered another long term injury during the pre-game warm-up. Evans scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester City against Portsmouth
on 21 September, scoring the fifth goal as City went on to win 6–0. With City's acquisition of Craig Bellamy
and later Emmanuel Adebayor
, Roque Santa Cruz
and Carlos Tévez
, Evans left in order to get more first team football.
for a fee of £3m on a three year deal in July 2009 making his début for The Blades in the first game of the new season; a 0–0 draw with Middlesbrough
Having bagged a brace for the Wales U21
s during the midweek fixtures he then scored his first goal in Blades colours on his home début, a 2–0 win over Watford. Despite a promising start Evans struggled to maintain any real form and was often relegated to the role of substitute during his first season with the Blades, making 36 appearances but scoring only four goals. The following season Evans was a regular first team choice and his form and scoring rate began to improve, despite the club going through a season of turmoil and battling against relegation. He finished the campaign as top scorer
with nine goals in all competitions but was unable to prevent the team dropping out of the division.
With The Blades now in League One there was much speculation that Evans would be sold to ease the clubs wage bill but an injury picked up in the last days of the previous campaign meant was unavailable until early September, preventing him from moving on.
cap in 2007. Since winning his first cap he has become a regular member of the squad and in November 2007 he scored a hat-trick against France U21s
. In doing so he became only the fourth player to have scored a hat-trick for the under-21 side, along with John Hartson
, Craig Davies and Lee Jones. Evans scored a brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina U21s
in October 2009, taking his tally for the Welsh U21s
to 13 goals in 12 games, further cementing his place as the side's top-scorer.
on 28 May 2008, scoring the winning goal (with a back heel) in a 1–0 victory against Iceland
. He subsequently went on to be a regular in the Wales set-up.
player Javan Vidal
were arrested over an alleged sex attack in his hometown of Rhyl
. On 26 July 2011 Evans and another professional footballer, Clayton McDonald
, were formally charged with rape
. They both denied the charge and will face trial
. in March 2012
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
footballer currently playing as a striker for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
.
Born in St Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
Evans was an inexperienced youth striker with Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, when he arrived at Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
on loan in 2007. He made a major impact during his time at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
, scoring 10 goals in 28 league appearances, before returning to his parent club. He was subsequently sold to Sheffield United for £3m in 2009. Evans scored on his début for Wales in 2008, and has so far scored twice in his 13 appearances.
Manchester City
Evans began his playing career in Rhyl and was spotted by highly respected football scoutScout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
John Reardon. Evans spent several years scoring many goals in Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
's youth set-up before it folded. He scored the winning goal in the Nathan Fennah Memorial game at the Deva Stadium in Chester City's U12s' 1–0 win against Wigan
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
U12s. Evans played and starred for Moss Valley Rovers in many summer tournaments in the North West. Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
signed him, on Reardon's advice, in 2002 following the collapse of Chester City's youth system. Contrary to some reports, he was never at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
's youth system on trial or otherwise.
In the 2006–07 season, Evans scored 16 goals in 23 starts at Academy level, and a further six in 10 starts in the Premier Reserve League. He was also in the side that reached the final of the 2006 FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
where they lost to Liverpool.
In September 2007, Evans came off the bench to make his senior début in City’s 1–0 Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
victory against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. On 21 November, Evans moved to Norwich City on loan until 1 January 2008. He made his début for the Canaries the following week when he came on as a substitute in the 3–1 victory over Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
. His first goal for the club came just two minutes into his first start in the 2–1 victory over Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
on 4 December. Evans returned to Manchester City after 1 January when the loan deal expired.
Initially, Norwich manager Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
's attempts to extend the loan were refused, however, on 10 January, the club announced that Evans would return to Norwich on loan until 26 February, with Manchester City initially able to recall him after 6 February, however, after talks between the two clubs at the end of January 2008, it was announced that Evans would be staying with the Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
club until the end of the season
Norwich City F.C. season 2007-08
The 2007–08 season was Norwich Citys third consecutive year in the Football League Championship. This article shows statistics and lists all matches that Norwich City played in the season.- A dreadful start :...
. Then-manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
stated he had no plans to sell Evans and that he would not be sold in the summer window. By the end of his loan spell, he had notched up 10 goals from 20 starts and eight substitute appearances — an impressive ratio in a struggling Norwich side.
Evans made his Premiership début for Manchester City on 18 August, on the opening game of the season, against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. He wasn't chosen for the starting eleven, but replaced Valeri Bojinov
Valeri Bojinov
Valeri Emilov Bozhinov , commonly known as Valeri Bojinov, is a Bulgarian footballer who currently plays for Sporting CP.-Biography:Born in the Bulgarian town of Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bozhinov moved to Malta at the age of 12 with his mother Pepa, a former Bulgarian national basketball team player and...
, who suffered another long term injury during the pre-game warm-up. Evans scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester City against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
on 21 September, scoring the fifth goal as City went on to win 6–0. With City's acquisition of Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
and later Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...
, Roque Santa Cruz
Roque Santa Cruz
Roque Luis Santa Cruz Cantero is a Paraguayan footballer currently playing as a striker for La Liga club Real Betis on loan from Manchester City and the Paraguay national football team....
and Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
, Evans left in order to get more first team football.
Sheffield United
Evans joined Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
for a fee of £3m on a three year deal in July 2009 making his début for The Blades in the first game of the new season; a 0–0 draw with Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
Having bagged a brace for the Wales U21
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
s during the midweek fixtures he then scored his first goal in Blades colours on his home début, a 2–0 win over Watford. Despite a promising start Evans struggled to maintain any real form and was often relegated to the role of substitute during his first season with the Blades, making 36 appearances but scoring only four goals. The following season Evans was a regular first team choice and his form and scoring rate began to improve, despite the club going through a season of turmoil and battling against relegation. He finished the campaign as top scorer
2010–11 Sheffield United F.C. season
The 2010-11 season was Sheffield United's third consecutive season in the Football League Championship after coming 8th in the 2009–10 season. It was Kevin Blackwell's third season in charge of United; however, he left Bramall Lane in mid-August after losing at home to QPR...
with nine goals in all competitions but was unable to prevent the team dropping out of the division.
With The Blades now in League One there was much speculation that Evans would be sold to ease the clubs wage bill but an injury picked up in the last days of the previous campaign meant was unavailable until early September, preventing him from moving on.
Wales U21s
Evans gained his first Wales U21Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
cap in 2007. Since winning his first cap he has become a regular member of the squad and in November 2007 he scored a hat-trick against France U21s
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
. In doing so he became only the fourth player to have scored a hat-trick for the under-21 side, along with John Hartson
John Hartson
John Hartson is a former Welsh international footballer who played as a striker, best known for his spells with West Ham and Celtic. Hartson also featured prominently for Wales, earning 51 caps until his international retirement in 2006...
, Craig Davies and Lee Jones. Evans scored a brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina U21s
Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-21 football team
Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 national football team is a youth team of Bosnia and Herzegovina that represents the country in the European Under-21 Football Championship and friendly matches....
in October 2009, taking his tally for the Welsh U21s
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
to 13 goals in 12 games, further cementing his place as the side's top-scorer.
Wales
Evans made his senior début for WalesWales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 28 May 2008, scoring the winning goal (with a back heel) in a 1–0 victory against Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
. He subsequently went on to be a regular in the Wales set-up.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 May 2008 | Laugardalsvöllur Laugardalsvöllur Laugardalsvöllur is the national stadium of Iceland. It is located in Reykjavík, and seats 9,800 individuals, another 5,627 people can be seated on concrete benches, but due to FIFA restrictions they are rarely used.-Overview:... , Reykjavík Reykjavík Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay... |
0–1 | Friendly match | 1 | |
| 2 | 11 October 2008 | Millennium Stadium Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
2–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament... |
1 |
Rape charge
On 30 May 2011,Ched Evans and former Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
player Javan Vidal
Javan Vidal
Javan Noel Vidal is an English footballer who plays as a defender and is currently unattached. He has previously played for Manchester City, Grimsby Town, Aberdeen, Derby County and Chesterfield.-Manchester City:...
were arrested over an alleged sex attack in his hometown of Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
. On 26 July 2011 Evans and another professional footballer, Clayton McDonald
Clayton McDonald
Clayton Rodney McDonald is an English football defender who plays for League Two side Port Vale. He is the son of former professional Rod McDonald, and brother to another footballer also called Rod McDonald....
, were formally charged with rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. They both denied the charge and will face trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
. in March 2012
External links
- Club profile at Sheffield United