Manchester United made the most surprising piece of business this summer as Jonny Evans made a surprise return to the club, eight years since he last played for them.
Before his appearance off the bench in Manchester United’s 1-0 pre-season win over Lyon on Wednesday, Evans last played for the Red Devils on May 9, 2015 – just under 3,000 days ago.
That day, Evans came on as a 40th minute substitute during a 2-1 victory away at Crystal Palace.
A lot has changed since that day, the Red Devils have had five managers since Louis van Gaal who led the team out that day and only one player in the entire matchday squad is still at the club.
Mail Sport takes a look at where that Manchester United squad are today, following Evans’ shock return to Old Trafford.
Jonny Evans has made a shock return to Manchester United on a short-term deal
Evans made his second debut for the club in Wednesday’s 1-0 friendly victory over Lyon
His last appearance for United came as a substitute during Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on May 9, 2015 – nearly 3,000 days ago
David de Gea
The Spanish goalkeeper left Old Trafford this summer after 12 years and 545 appearances for the club across all competitions.
De Gea for a long time was a bright spark in a poor United team, winning the fans’ Player of the Year award on four occasions as his excellent saves often spared their blushes.
However, he also had a number of high-profile errors, particularly last season, against the likes of Brentford, West Ham and Sevilla.
Erik ten Hag’s desire to have a ball-playing keeper spelled the end for De Gea, who is now looking for a new club.
David de Gea’s 12-year stint at Manchester United came to an end this summer
Antonio Valencia
The Ecuadorian was a huge asset for United during his ten years at the club – turning from a right winger to a dependable right back.
After joining from Wigan in 2009, he made 339 appearances for the Red Devils before returning to Ecuador in 2019.
He played for LDU Quito for over a year, before finishing off his career at Mexican side Queretaro – retiring in May 2021.
Since then he has founded a football club in Ecuador called AV25 Club Deportivo and he has had a dramatic change to his appearance.
Once a speedy winger, Valencia has been working on his physique and recent photos have emerged online showing the former United man looking incredibly jacked – putting on a considerable amount of muscle.
Antonio Valencia retired from football and has focused on his physique with a much more jacked look
Chris Smalling
The former England international struggled to nail down a regular starting place at Old Trafford, but has since found form abroad.
He joined Roma on a one-year loan deal in 2019, and he impressed enough for the deal to turn permanent the following summer.
Smalling has made 143 appearances for the Serie A side, helping them win the Europa Conference League under his former United boss Jose Mourinho – while they also just fell short in last season’s Europa League.
The 33-year-old was recently rewarded with a new two-year deal to extend his stay at the club until 2025.
Chris Smalling has impressed at Serie A side Roma – managed by former-United boss Jose Mourinho
Phil Jones
Like De Gea, Jones also left the club at the end of his contract this summer.
He also joined in the same summer as De Gea back in 2011, though he had very different fortunes at the club.
A player who Sir Alex Ferguson once said could be their ‘best player ever’, things didn’t go to plan as he struggled with injuries and inconsistent form during his time at the club.
He only made 13 appearances in all competitions across the last four seasons so his exit from the club was not a surprise. The 31-year-old is still looking for a new club.
Phil Jones left United this summer after making just eight appearances in the last four seasons
Luke Shaw
The only player in the squad that day to still be at the club, and in fact, he ended up coming off as a 40th minute substitute for Evans in the latter’s final appearance to date.
Other than some tough years under Jose Mourinho and during United’s woeful 2021-22 season, Shaw has been one of their better performers.
He has become someone who Ten Hag can trust, playing ahead of Harry Maguire as a central defender at times last season.
To date, he has made 260 appearances for United, and is contracted at the club until 2027.
Luke Shaw (centre) is the only player who was in the matchday squad against Crystal Palace in May 2015 that is still at the club
Daley Blind
The Dutchman spent three more seasons at Old Trafford before returning to Ajax, where he had come through the ranks as a youth player.
It was at Ajax where he suffered a ‘small heart attack’ during a Champions League match with Valencia.
He was diagnosed with myocarditis and was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.
After making 190 appearances for Ajax in his second stint at the club, he joined Bayern Munich in January – making just four appearances.
Daley Blind signed for Bayern Munich in January making four appearances for the German side
Juan Mata
The Spanish international enjoyed his best season at Old Trafford during Evans’ last year at the club – netting nine goals in the Premier League.
He spent a further seven years at Old Trafford, before leaving in the summer of 2022 for Turkish side Galatasaray.
Mata is without a club after confirming his exit from Galatasaray this summer. He returned to Manchester last month to take part in the city’s International Festival.
Combining his love for football and art, he debuted his multi-part project ‘The Trequartista: Art and Football United’.
Spaniard Juan Mata left Galatasaray this summer after just one year at the Turkish side
Ander Herrera
The Spanish midfielder secured a big move to join Paris Saint-Germain from Manchester United in the summer of 2019.
Despite a difficult first season in France where he made just nine appearances, he went on to play a regular role at the club in a side consisting of world superstars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Herrera though left PSG in the summer of 2022 to return to Athletic Bilbao – where he spent three years playing before his 2014 move to Old Trafford.
The 33-year-old has one further year left on his deal at the Spanish club.
Ander Herrera returned to Athletic Bilbao from PSG in 2022 after originally leaving the Spanish side for Manchester United in 2014
Marouane Fellaini
Before moving to Saudi Arabia became popular, the Chinese Super League looked as though it was prepared to take the fight to European football securing a number of big signings.
That hasn’t proven to be the case, though Fellaini is now in his fifth season at Shandong Luneng.
Fellaini made 177 appearances at Old Trafford between 2013 and 2019, but he became one of the symbols of their decline during the post-Ferguson era.
Against Crystal Palace in Evans’ last game, he netted a 78th minute winner after Mata had earlier scored from the penalty spot.
Marouane Fellaini left Manchester United in 2019 and has since played in China
Ashley Young
One of only two players from the starting XI that day who will be playing Premier League football next season.
Like Valencia, Young’s versatility was a valuable asset during his time at Old Trafford, with the 38-year-old making 261 appearances at Old Trafford.
He left the club in January 2020 to join Serie A side Inter Milan, before returning to Aston Villa in the summer of 2021.
Unai Emery decided not to extend his contract this summer though, and he joined an Everton side who have battled to avoid the drop in the last two seasons.
Ashley Young recently joined Everton and Aston Villa boss Unai Emery decided to let him go
Wayne Rooney
Rooney became Manchester United’s all-time record goalscorer during his time at the club, netting 253 goals in 559 appearances.
He returned to Everton in 2017 before going on to have playing spells at D.C. United and Derby.
The 37-year-old retired from football to focus on management at Derby, and despite a valiant effort in a season where Derby spent almost the entire campaign in administration, they were relegated to League One in 2022.
He then left Derby to return to D.C. United as manager where he remains to this day.
Wayne Rooney is currently managing in the MLS at D.C. United where he was previously a player
Substitutes
Jonny Evans
(Replaced Luke Shaw after 40 minutes)
Former United manager Ferguson was left baffled by the club’s decision to part ways with Evans back in 2015.
He left for West Brom that summer, where he spent three years before joining Leicester in 2018.
Evans played a key role in the Foxes’ efforts to qualify for the Champions League – narrowly missing out on the final day twice. While he also started in the Foxes’ 2021 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea.
Paddy McNair
(Replaced Chris Smalling after 84 minutes)
The Northern Ireland international made 16 appearances for United during the 2014-15 Premier League season.
He struggled to make the grade at Old Trafford however, leaving in a £5.5m deal to Sunderland in 2016.
After two seasons at the Black Cats, he joined Middlesbrough in 2018 – where he plays to this day making 185 appearances across five seasons.
Paddy McNair (left) is a regular for Northern Ireland and has spent the last five seasons at Middlesbrough
Falcao
(Replaced Wayne Rooney after 45 minutes)
Despite excitement over his loan move to Manchester United for the 2014-15 season, he struggled to impress netting four goals in 26 appearances.
He then joined Chelsea on loan the following season, before winning his place back in the Monaco squad – scoring 70 goals between 2016 and 2019.
Falcao then spent two years at Galatasaray, and has just finished his second season at LaLiga side Rayo Vallecano.
Falcao – who had just one year at Old Trafford on loan – now plays for Spanish side Rayo Vallecano
Unused subs
Adnan Januzaj – Left United in 2017 and spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Istanbul Basaksehir from Sevilla.
Victor Valdes – The former Barcelona star left United after two years in 2016, retiring from football a year later following a stint at Middlesbrough. He supported Joan Laporta’s presidential campaign at Barcelona but opted not to return to the club as a goalkeeping coach. He deleted his social media accounts after retirement.
Andreas Pereira – Left United in 2022 after loan spells at Granada, Valencia, Lyon and Flamengo. Made 38 appearances for Fulham last season.
James Wilson – Made 20 appearances for United before joining Aberdeen in 2019. Has spent the last two seasons at League Two side Port Vale.
