Man Utd caretaker assistant boss was involved in ‘stolen taxi’ saga and spitting incident | Football | Sport

Evans, who enjoyed a successful 19-year career, earning eight major honours and 107 caps for Northern Ireland, wasn’t without controversy during his playing days. One such incident occurred in 2015 while playing for United, when he and ex-Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse were found guilty by the FA of spitting at each other during a heated match at St James’ Park.

Although Evans didn’t deny the act of spitting, he maintained that he did not target it at the Senegalese player. Despite his claims, an independent regulatory commission handed him a six-match suspension, while Cisse received a seven-game ban due to a previous offence that season.

Evans, who maintained an impeccable record during the rest of his tenure at United, found himself embroiled in controversy once again while playing for West Brom. In 2018, he and fellow team-mates Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill were accused of stealing a taxi outside a fast-food joint in Barcelona.

The incident was reported to the BBC by Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan regional police force, who stated that the Premier League footballers had taken a taxi to a restaurant and allegedly drove it back to their hotel without the driver. The authorities were alerted, leading to the quartet, including Evans, being questioned but not arrested by Spanish law enforcement.

In response to the allegations, the four players issued a statement: “We felt it important we identify ourselves out of respect for team-mates who otherwise could be implicated by association.” Evans is now poised to support Fletcher in his debut match as United’s manager in tonight’s away game against Burnley.

During a press conference on Tuesday, the Scotsman said of his former club team-mate: “Jonny is someone who has a great association with the club. Recently played, knows the players, comfortable in the environment, and a familiar face for the players and the group.