Roy Evans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Roy Evans

Personal information
Full name	Roy Quentin Echlin Evans
Date of birth	(1948-10-04) 4 October 1948 (age 76)
Place of birth	Bootle, England
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
	Liverpool
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1965–1974	Liverpool	9	(0)
1973	→ Philadelphia Atoms (loan)	19	(2)
Managerial career
1994–1998	Liverpool
1998	Liverpool (with Gérard Houllier)
2000	Fulham (with Karl-Heinz Riedle)
2001	Swindon Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Roy Quentin Echlin Evans (born 4 October 1948) is an English former footballer. He played as a defender for Liverpool. Later, he also became the manager of the club. Besides his time at Liverpool, he played briefly in the United States. He also managed other teams like Fulham and Swindon Town.

Playing and Coaching Career

Roy Evans was a talented defender who played for the England schoolboy team. He spent many years at Liverpool in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, he also played for a short time in the United States with the Philadelphia Atoms.

In 1974, Roy stopped playing football professionally. He then became a coach for Liverpool's reserve team. He continued to be an important part of the Liverpool coaching staff for many years. He worked under several different managers.

Becoming Liverpool's Manager

On 28 January 1994, Graeme Souness stepped down as Liverpool's manager. This happened after a surprising loss in the FA Cup to Bristol City. Roy Evans took over the team. At that time, Liverpool was in the middle of the Premier League table. They were not expected to win any major trophies that season.

Roy inherited a team that had lost some of its confidence. He worked to rebuild the squad and bring back their winning spirit.

Building a Strong Team (1994-1995)

For the 1994–95 season, Roy Evans brought in new defenders like John Scales and Phil Babb. He also gave more chances to talented young players. These included Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp, and Robbie Fowler. These young stars were some of the most exciting players in English football at the time.

Experienced players like John Barnes and Ian Rush played well with the younger team members. Liverpool finished fourth in the Premier League that season. They also won the Football League Cup, beating Bolton Wanderers 2–1. Steve McManaman scored both goals in that final. This was Liverpool's fifth time winning the League Cup.

Challenging for the Title (1995-1996)

In the summer of 1995, Roy Evans made a big signing. He bought striker Stan Collymore from Nottingham Forest for a lot of money. Many people thought Liverpool would win the Premier League title that season.

Liverpool looked strong early in the season. However, the title race soon became a fight between Newcastle United and Manchester United. Manchester United eventually won the league. Liverpool finished third. They also reached the FA Cup final but lost 1–0 to Manchester United. Because Manchester United won both the league and the FA Cup, Liverpool qualified for the 1996–97 European Cup Winners' Cup.

The "Spice Boys" Era (1996-1997)

The 1996–97 season was the closest Roy Evans came to winning the Premier League title. He added Czech midfielder Patrik Berger to his team. The team was built around star players like McManaman and Fowler.

Liverpool led the Premier League table several times, even having a five-point lead in January. However, they did not finish the season strongly and ended up in fourth place. Manchester United won the title. Liverpool also reached the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup but lost to Paris St Germain. Some people in the media called Roy's team the "Spice Boys". This was because of their lifestyles outside of football, which some felt affected their performance on the pitch.

New Talent and Challenges (1997-1998)

Before the 1997–98 season, Stan Collymore left the club. Roy Evans brought in experienced players like Paul Ince and German striker Karlheinz Riedle. A very promising 17-year-old striker named Michael Owen also started to play a lot more.

Liverpool hoped to challenge for the title again. However, Robbie Fowler got injured for most of the season. Michael Owen stepped up and scored 18 goals in 36 Premier League games. Despite Owen's great performance, Liverpool finished third in the league. They qualified for the UEFA Cup again.

Joint Management and Resignation (1998)

In 1998, Liverpool decided to bring in Gérard Houllier to work alongside Roy Evans. They became joint managers for the 1998–99 season. However, this arrangement did not work out well. Roy Evans decided to resign in November 1998. This left Gérard Houllier in charge of the team by himself. Houllier stayed at Liverpool until 2004 and won several trophies.

Roy Evans' Legacy at Liverpool

When Roy Evans took over as manager in 1994, the team was struggling. In his first full season, Liverpool improved significantly, finishing fourth. It seemed like he had turned things around for the club.

Roy Evans built a very exciting team. They were especially good at attacking football. Many people believed he created one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the 1990s. He helped bring through many talented young players who became stars.

After Liverpool

Roy Evans pictured with a fan in 2019.

After leaving Liverpool, Roy Evans was out of work for over a year. He was considered for manager jobs at other clubs, like Nottingham Forest and Bolton Wanderers, but did not get them.

In March 2000, he became a joint caretaker manager for Fulham with Karlheinz Riedle. This was a temporary role.

In June 2001, Roy Evans became the Director of Football at Swindon Town. He worked with former Liverpool player Neil Ruddock, who was a player-coach. However, they did not achieve promotion, and new management took over in December 2001.

In November 2004, Roy Evans became the assistant manager for the Wales national team. He worked with former Liverpool striker John Toshack, who was the manager.

In February 2007, he also became a part-time assistant manager for Wrexham. He helped the team avoid being relegated from League Two.

Besides coaching, Roy Evans also works as a co-commentator for Liverpool matches on their official website. He also co-wrote his authorized biography, called Ghost on the Wall, which was released in 2004.

Achievements

As Manager

Liverpool

• Football League Cup: 1994–95

Individual Awards

• Premier League Manager of the Month: December 1995, January 1996

Managerial Statistics