Wayne Duncan Evans (25 August 1971 – July 2023) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a defender for Walsall and Rochdale in the Football League. He later went on to coach youth players, one club being Penn Fusion Soccer Academy in West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. He stayed for one season, later moving to Nova Scotia, Canada to continue his coaching career.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wayne Duncan Evans | ||
| Date of birth | 25 August 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Abermule, Wales | ||
| Date of death | July 2023 (aged 51) | ||
| Place of death | United States | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1993 | Welshpool Town | ||
| 1993–1999 | Walsall | 183 | (1) |
| 1999–2005 | Rochdale | 259 | (3) |
| 2005–2006 | Kidderminster Harriers | 13 | (0) |
| 2007 | Welshpool Town | 8 | (0) |
| 2011 | Newtown | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 463 | (4) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
At Rochdale, Evans was known to fans by the nickname "Evo"; others called him "Wanners".[1] He later played for Kidderminster Harriers and Welshpool Town.[1]
Evans worked as Youth Team manager at Shrewsbury Town alongside former Salop defenders Peter Wilding and David Hughes.
In 2011, he briefly came out of retirement and was named in Newtown squad for the New Year's Day match against Welsh Premier League champions The New Saints.[2]
Evans died at his American home, on the first weekend of July 2023, at the age of 51.[3][4]
Honours edit
Walsall
- Football League Third Division runner-up: 1994–95
References edit
- ^ a b Lyell Tweed (3 July 2023). "Tributes paid to former Rochdale AFC player after 'sudden and devastating' death". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
- ^ "Latest News". Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ "R.I.P. Wayne Evans". Rochdale AFC. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Walsall and Rochdale pay tribute to the late Wayne Evans". County Times. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
External links edit
- Wayne Evans at Soccerbase
