'Like school' – How Jon Rudkin convinced Jonny Evans to join Leicester City

[davieG]

From the Merc

 

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/like-school--how-jon-3631125

 

Leicester City centre-back joined in a £3.5m move from West Brom in 2018

ByJordan Blackwell
11:05, 11 DEC 2019
SPORT

Jonny Evans was persuaded to join Leicester City by director of football Jon Rudkin and his dossier of game-by-game grades.

Evans joined City from West Brom for just £3.5m in 2018, widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s best bargains of recent years.

Reflecting on his move to the King Power Stadium, Evans – who had been linked to Arsenal and Manchester City – said he was won over by Rudkin during a meeting at his agent’s office in Cheshire.

“It was a big dossier with every game I’d played over three or four seasons, and he had them all graded,” Evans told the Sunday Times.

“There was a C-minus in there – like school marks. Luckily the rest were positive, A and A-plus. But I saw this one game with a C-minus and remember looking at it, thinking, ‘Yeah, Watford away, I had a bad day.’

“So that actually helped – they were seeing the games the way I did. That, and the fact they’d been tracking me for so long and that someone had been tasked with watching me so closely. I came out with the thought, ‘This is somewhere I really want to go.’”

Evans would be receiving more A grades for his performances this season, the Northern Ireland international at the heart of City’s league-leading defence.

Under the guidance of his countryman Brendan Rodgers, that solid rearguard has City in a title race.

“The best managers say the right things at the right times and he does that,” Evans said of Rodgers. “His talks are short. He’ll come in and give his message sometimes just as the bell’s going for us to go back out. I’ve never experienced that.”

 

He added: “The target was Europe. If we achieve that, and even more so the Champions League, anything after is a bonus.”

Evans is one of the older heads in a young squad, but he says the players are as one, even if they occasionally have disagreements.

“My first impression was, ‘Are the boys taking it seriously?’ But then you realise there’s a big strength to it, because they’re playing with no fear,” he said.

“I know with experience how quickly football can change and will remind the lads the second half of the season will be different, with teams fighting for their lives and no room for error.

“Kasper’s got this old-school way – he tries to ban bad haircuts – and Madders is turning up with his see-through multicoloured Louis Vuitton rucksack. There’s constant dialogue between them.”

[Lestoh]

To be fair, Madders has had an absolute mare with that rucksack

[Suzie the Fox]

1 hour ago, Lestoh said:

To be fair, Madders has had an absolute mare with that rucksack

I liked it..  

[MPH]

 that’s made my day, that has.

[StanSP]

Superb.

 

Leaked pictures of Rudkin's dossier on every player he's ever scouted and we've ever been interested in. Kept in a glass box for safe-keeping.

 

 

[Finnaldo]

Love the idea Maddison gets shit every day for that rucksack

 

On a more serious note, the last year and a half Rudkin has made the majority of us (myself included) look like fvcking idiots. Whether we gave him far too much flak or he grew into his role, probably a bit of both, he and Whelan have stepped up massively since last October. Absolutely magnificent staff to have at the top of the club, especially in this day and age.

[EastAnglianFox]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

Kasper’s got this old-school way – he tries to ban bad haircuts – and Madders is turning up with his see-through multicoloured Louis Vuitton rucksack. There’s constant dialogue between them.”

 

Just when I thought I couldn't love this club anymore 😂😂

[weller54]

1 hour ago, Suzie the Fox said:

I liked it..  

Have to say it was good value.

[FoyleFox]

3 hours ago, Lestoh said:

To be fair, Madders has had an absolute mare with that rucksack

 

2 hours ago, Suzie the Fox said:

I liked it..  

I quite liked it too...

[HitchinFox]

1 hour ago, EastAnglianFox said:

 

Just when I thought I couldn't love this club anymore 😂😂

 

Literally what I was going to post...word for word. Great minds!

 

[Fox92]

Can't help but love Evans. What a signing. Probably the most complete centre back I've seen at the club. His experience/ability/guidance reminds me of Huth.

[Stadt]

I still can't believe Van Gaall let him go, he's a better ball player than Jones and Smalling as well as being batter defender in general.

[Anglodanglo]

7 hours ago, davieG said:

“Kasper’s got this old-school way – he tries to ban bad haircuts –

 

With age comes wisdom.

 

[fazzyfox]

Jonny just never pop round to Rudkins place, those photo's and press cuttings about you all over the walls of the spare room linked with arrows, maps and bits of cotton will freak you out

[squarez]

29 minutes ago, fazzyfox said:

Jonny just never pop round to Rudkins place, those photo's and press cuttings about you all over the walls of the spare room linked with arrows, maps and bits of cotton will freak you out