Evans pays respects to tragic fan
NORTHERN Ireland tried to put a difficult 48 hours behind them yesterday, but there was no disguising the impact that the death of a supporter has had on their camp following the defeat by Poland at the weekend.
It’s perhaps inevitable that in a country with the second smallest population at Euro 2016, some of the players share mutual friends with Darren Rodgers, the 24-year-old fan who died after falling 26 feet on to a rocky beach in Nice in the early hours of Monday.
It’s also fair to say that easy access to the squad when Northern Ireland play in Belfast or abroad has also led to a closer bond with supporters than exists around the highly protected England set-up.
‘Over the years that’s always been the case. Every away trip we’ve gone on, there are always fans in the hotel,’ said Jonny Evans, the former Manchester United defender and most recognisable player in the squad.
Evans (below) and goalkeeper Michael McGovern were the first players to face the media since the tragedy occurred.
‘When I played for United, the bigger the club you’re at, there ends up being a bit of a distance (between players and fans),’ Evans added.
‘I speak to the England players and they’re always locked away in their hotel. We’ve always had that bond with our fans. There has never been any barriers between us and them.
‘The atmosphere they created for us in the build-up to the Poland game was out of this world, then we wake up next day and one of them has passed away. It’s hard to take.
‘One of the lads said that he has some friends who know him. I spoke to my dad last night. ‘He’s still down in Nice and said that where the accident had taken place there were people laying flowers and crying. It’s a really sad thing to happen.’ However, Michael O’Neill’s side must try to focus their minds on tomorrow’s second game against Ukraine in Lyon. Another defeat would almost certainly end Northern Ireland’s hopes of progressing, with world champions Germany lying in wait in the final Group C tie. Striker Kyle Lafferty has promised fans a better performance than against Poland, admitting that he and his team-mates were ‘overawed’ by their first appearance at the European Championship finals. ‘Maybe the occasion took over and we didn’t turn up,’ said Lafferty. ‘We were a shadow of the team that got us here. We pretty much froze on the spot. For Michael, for his coaching staff, for all the people who’ve paid good money to come out here, we let them down and we’ll put it right on Thursday. A win could take us out of this group. We still have belief.’ However, Evans disagreed with the Norwich striker, saying: ‘I don’t think we were overwhelmed at all. Maybe Kyle felt overwhelmed. ‘I don’t think he can speak on behalf of another person and say that, but that’s Kyle for you. If we do go out of the tournament at the group stage, we want to do it by having a go, leaving nothing in the tank and not letting the tournament pass us by.’