EVANS HAS KINGDOM HOPE

JOHN EVANS has described managing the Wicklow senior football team as ‘the biggest challenge I’ve ever taken on,’ and the man who has been involved with Tipperary, Meath and Roscommon admitted he would love to one day have a role with his native Kerry. Asked if he ever wanted to manage the Kingdom after making a name for himself with Laune Rangers and beyond, Evans (right) said he had his eye on it in 2007 when Pat O’Shea was appointed to succeed Jack O’Connor. ‘Yeah, I did. I was certainly very interested at that time. Kerry, once you see things are going right... it was certainly always an ambition of mine. It’s funny enough, when you play against Kerry you’re not really considered as a guy then that should be managing Kerry. It’s a loyalty thing.’ Asked if his nomadic management career means that door is shut, he replied: ‘It’s not shut. I would certainly like to get involved in Kerry management as some stage again. Maybe not as the manager but I would always be willing to help out. ‘But with Wicklow at the moment, without a shadow of a doubt it’s the biggest challenge I’ve ever taken on. ‘I took it on because of that and I can clearly state here now that I was offered a couple of other jobs but this bloody challenge of Wicklow... not that I was going for lowest, weaker teams but I just think it can be done. ‘I did it with Laune Rangers, I did it with Tipperary, Roscommon, even Meath. I think it can be done with the right positivity and the right drive.’