Evans brothers glad to repay mum and dad

IT’S been quite a journey from the tough Rathcoole council estate, north of Belfast, to the shores of the Cote d’Azur for Jonny and Corry Evans. Standing in the Stade de Nice tomorrow, they will take time to reflect on the sacrifices made by their parents when they become the first brothers to represent Northern Ireland together at a major tournament. The family uprooted from Belfast when Jonny was offered a scholarship at Manchester United at 15, with Corry following his older brother into the club’s academy soon afterwards. Dad Jackie, a defender who left Chelsea and Arsenal in the 1980s without playing a first-team game, gave up his job at a Belfast factory making aircraft parts and drove a minibus for United’s junior teams while studying for a sports business degree. When Jackie and wife Dawn watch from the stands in Nice tomorrow as their sons walk out for Northern Ireland’s Group C opener against Poland, it will all seem worthwhile. Jonny, 28, admits that he sometimes forgets how lucky the family are to have the two brothers at Euro 2016. Recalling a recent conversation with his West Brom team-mate Darren Fletcher, he said: ‘I was talking to Darren about his two boys and saying, “When they’re footballers...”. ‘Darren turned to me and said: “Jonny, that might never happen. You don’t realise how fortunate your parents are that they’ve got two sons both playing at a very good level and going to the Euros”. ‘That hit home, how fortunate we are. This will be a great occasion for us personally. Not many brothers have done it. ‘I don’t think you appreciate what they (my parents) went through because we’re not privy to their serious conversations at night, when the kids are in bed. ‘You know, “Is this the right decision?” We’ll always be indebted to them because they sacrificed their lives really, especially our mum. ‘We were always out playing football anywhere we could. Corry was Roberto Carlos and I was Paolo Maldini. ‘If you see us together in the same team, I don’t think you get a prouder moment. If I go to watch Corry play I have so much pride, even more than when you’re playing in your own games. ‘That gives me an indication of what they must be feeling when watching us.’ The family still live close together even though Jonny left Old Trafford for West Brom last summer after making 196 appearances, and Corry, 25, has been at Blackburn since 2013 having never made a first-team appearance for United. They still have the video footage of Corry scoring the winning goal for their junior team Carnmoney Colts in the cup final of a tournament in Holland after taking Jonny’s place because he had travelled to the Dallas Cup with United at the age of 10. ‘They (my parents) always had belief in me and pushed me,’ says Corry. ‘It’s probably a relief that they don’t have to deal with the disappointment of me not making it. ‘They can look on now and be proud of what they’ve raised and sacrificed for our careers.’