England vs Belgium: Proud Welshman Richard Evans is helping plot the Three Lions’ downfall
Former Bristol Rovers forward is working in Roberto Martinez's backroom team at the World Cup
WHEN Belgium were knocked out of their last tournament, one of their future coaches was celebrating on a sofa in Swansea.
Proud Welshman Richard Evans was watching with his family back home when Chris Coleman’s underdogs stunned the Red Devils 3-1 in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
But just four weeks later, the former Bristol Rovers forward was working with Belgium as part of Roberto Martinez’s backroom staff - and not every player was impressed.
Evans, 50, smiled: “We were jumping up and down in the lounge when we beat Belgium!
“It was a great game and I was then hoping Wales would go on and win it.
“But a few weeks later, I was suddenly working with the players that lost to Wales.
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“I was only four then but we used to watch all the games on television.
“He was an old-fashioned winger - turning players inside out, always going past people and creating goals.
“He is a Swansea City legend, he played there for ten years. He had a very good career for them and Wales.”
Sadly, Brian will not see his son at the World Cup having passed away 15 years ago aged 60 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
But Evans Jnr, whose uncle and grandad also both played rugby for Wales, is proud to have followed in his father’s footsteps by reaching the international stage - albeit as a coach.
His road to Russia is an unlikely one and began when he was released as an apprentice at Cardiff aged 18.
Evans did his coaching badges when he was without a club and then played in Cyprus for a year, before stints in non-league with Newport and Weymouth.
He was eventually signed by Bristol Rovers but after suffering a serious foot injury in his first season, he decided a career as a professional footballer was not for him.
So Evans did a sport science degree at Loughborough University and, while doing his finals, he was offered the sports therapist job at his dad’s old club Swansea, where he first met Martinez.
And that relationship would end up shaping his career, as Martinez was made Swans manager in 2007 - then took Evans to Wigan with him when he became boss there two years later.
Evans recalled: “I first met Roberto in 2003 when he was signing for us as a player and I did the medical on him.
“I always remember going back to my wife that evening and I said, ‘Bev, I’ve met a player today that is different - I’ve never met anyone else like him in football’.
“He was charismatic, he had an endearing personality, he had standards, professionalism and a good knowledge of football.
“His first impression on me was that - and that’s the person he turned out to be.
"Roberto was ahead of his time in terms of player preparation - nutrition, sleep, training methods and the science behind it all.
“He has a degree in physiotherapy himself, so I can never really pull the wool over his eyes because he’s got the knowledge to back it up.
“It’s been a fantastic journey to go to Wigan, then Everton and Belgium, you could never predict that on a crystal ball.
“To win the FA Cup with Wigan was a special, special moment - and now to be at a World Cup is a dream come true.”
TEAM-MATES
BIGGEST JOKER:
“Eden Hazard and Dries Mertens are the characters of the squad.
“I’m sure I’ve been the butt of many jokes - but it’s only been said in Flemish and French so I can’t understand it!"
MOST SKILFUL:
“Some of the things you see on the training ground are just special - some of the finishing and tricks.
“To name a few you have Yannick Carrasco, Kevin De Bruyne, Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens.
“We often reflect on the training sessions after and say, ‘Did you see that?’”
FITTEST:
“I would say Jan Vertonghen. I’d like to pick a forward because I was a forward myself.
“But the level of performance Jan generates at club level and international level is phenomenal.
“He’s got a fantastic physical condition for him to be able to maintain that.”
BEST TRAINER:
“Youri Tielemans and Thomas Meunier.
“The high intensity and total distance the boys cover is huge. They are both excellent trainers.”
QUICKEST:
“That was one of the first questions I had when I arrived because there was a battle between Divock Origi and Lukaku.
“I’d have to say Romelu - he maybe isn’t, but I have to say that anyway because I’ve worked with him for so long!”
WORST DRESS SENSE:
“Michy Batshuayi comes in with some interesting gear.
“He’s also one of those ones you have to wake up to make sure he gets into meetings.
“He can possibly miss the coach at some stage!”
MOST INTELLIGENT:
“There’s only one person for that - Vincent Kompany.
“During one training session, Graeme asked a football trivia question to determine who went into the middle in a little exercise.
“Vincent got the question right and the lads were saying, ‘Oh, listen to Obama!’
“So he has that presidential voice and that status within the team. He’s always a spokesman.
“He’s got a business degree, and I don’t think he sees football as a be-all and end-all.”
Evans admits he has been pleasantly surprised with how much fun Belgium’s big names have been to work with, revealing it has restored his “faith in football”.
And he believes the Red Devils’ team spirit will go a long way in helping them have a big impact in Russia.
Evans added: “When you think of Belgium, you hear all the stories about there being factions and this and that.
“But when you start working with them, they are friendly and you see the relationships that they have built up through the age-groups and all the way through to the international first team.
“It is refreshing that the group have a humour about them, a personality about them.
“And it’s rejuvenated my faith in football really because, as well as being very talented, these players have been great to work with.
“They are a fantastic group and we hope that we will impose ourselves on the tournament and do really, really well.”