Jonny Evans has spoken of his sadness at seeing so many staff at risk of losing their jobs. Around 250 employees, including a number of academy coaches, as part of a huge cost cutting drive . Evans says the news has been “hard and difficult” to swallow and cast something of a shadow over the club’s pre-season tour of the US.
The United defender has had a near 30-year association with the club and has fostered close relationships with an array of staff members over that time. Evans’ wife Helen has worked for MUTV, United’s official television station, for the past 14 years, and his father, Jackie, was once an academy coach at the club. His younger brother Corry also spent several years in United’s academy before leaving for Hull City in 2011.
Evans was not passing judgement on the tough decisions being taken by Ratcliffe and the new hierarchy at Old Trafford but admitted the prospect of job cuts had “not been easy for everyone”. “I think they’ve got an idea of how they want the structure but as someone who’s been at the club a long time – [even though] I had a spell away – a lot of people have lost their jobs this last couple of weeks and it’s been hard and difficult to see,” said Evans, 36, who signed a one-year contract extension this month. “The new owners feel that’s the direction that they want to go.
But, you know, it’s not been easy for everyone at the same time. “I mean, there’s people you’ve known for 20 years and I think the .