Man Utd welcome former defender back to training for pre-season
- Man Utd kicked off pre-season preparations with win against Leeds in Oslo on Wednesday
- Players on international duty in June returned to training on Saturday
- Former Man Utd defender Jonny Evans has spent time at Carrington following Leicester release
By Sean Walsh
Manchester United's senior internationals returned to first-team training on Saturday and they were joined by one of the club's former stars in Jonny Evans.
The Northern Ireland international came through the Red Devils' academy and he had a successful career in the first team, making 198 appearances and winning 11 trophies between 2007 and 2015.
He signed for West Bromwich Albion ahead of the 2015/16 campaign and spent three years with the Baggies before making the switch to Leicester City.
Evans' contract with the Foxes expired at the end of the 2022/23 season, with Leicester surprisingly relegated from the Premier League.
Now a free agent and on the hunt for a new club, Evans has been granted permission by Man Utd to return and train at their Carrington headquarters for the time being.
The Manchester Evening News report that Evans has spent the last week flittering between training sessions with both Man Utd's senior squad and academy side.
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Evans is said to have impressed club officials with his 'quality and experience', while Man Utd have stressed that they will always be open to former players returning on similar terms.
The 35-year-old still lives close to Carrington, while his wife Helen works for the club's in-house MUTV broadcaster.
Man Utd have been linked with several centre-backs in the summer transfer market but have so far only brought in one player this window - midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea.
They were interested in Napoli defender Kim Min-jae but he is now set to move to Bayern Munich, while long-term target Jurrien Timber has signed for Arsenal.
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