In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, charismatic trainer Steve Evans opens up about the reasons behind his dramatic weight loss and admits one of his motivations is to get physically and mentally fit to challenge for the next promotion…
Adam Bate
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Steve Evans, who managed several English Football League clubs, reveals his remarkable weight loss journey which saw him lose more than six stone.
Steve Evans used to take the taunts about his weight with humour. But the years, combined with a growing waistline, made it a problem he was determined to combat. Having four grandchildren is a great way to put things into perspective.
“I want to be there when they're 25, 30,” Evans told Sky Sports. “I want to see them have kids. Is that possible? Yeah, it's possible.” He has boosted his chances by shedding 60 pounds in the months since leaving Rotherham.
A visit to a cardiologist marked the beginning of the change. “I was worried about myself,” he admits, noting that “the day-to-day stresses of managing football” had taken their toll. But it was a family decision, a conscious attempt to “become healthier and fitter” than before.
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Over two hours of engaging conversation at his home in Peterborough, Evans, 62, is certainly transformed. He is in good physical and mental shape and, sharing stories about football's greatest players, says he feels the best he has felt in years.
But first, a new routine. “I run 50 to 70 distances. Then I ride my bike a little bit. Then I go to the sauna. I spend about two and a half hours there [in the gym], and then I go home, and then I have lunch and dinner as scheduled.”
He walks his dogs in the evenings, but late nights are a thing of the past. “I go to bed early because I don’t want to be in the fridge,” he says. “I’d like a cookie or something to snack on, but I’ve given up on that. So it’s all about watching my calories.”
Chasing the 10th promotion
The hope is that if he can lose some weight, he will be able to maintain the weight. “It won’t be easy, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.” Evans was, after all, a professional footballer in his youth. “The body is a temple,” he says.
His wife, Sarah, rolls her eyes at the phrase. She's heard it a couple of times before. But the old sparkle is back in Evans's eyes, and the message is clear. “Unfinished business,” as he puts it. After all, family was only one reason for this athletic activity.
“I think nine promotions is an unlucky number for me. Ten is a good number. Football is an adrenaline rush, isn't it? It's a drug. And I want to get back to that daily rush, whether it's in training or in matches. I'm missing that again now.”
Pictured: Steve Evans and James Tavernier celebrate promotion at Wembley Stadium with Rotherham.
He has previously won promotions at five different clubs – Stamford, Boston, Crawley, Rotherham and Stevenage – and it is telling that his relationship with Rotherham chairman Tony Stewart remains strong despite his departure in March.
“I've been in touch with him a lot since I came out of prison and that friendship will stay with me forever. When I came back to Rotherham, everyone expected it to just happen, given the success we'd had before. We tried everything, but it just wasn't meant to be.
The chairman knew it would all be a bit chaotic and take time. But the fans come and pay their hard-earned money, so you have to win football matches. It's a great club and we've had a lot of support. The fans there will always be great people.
Evans is also held in high regard at Stevenage, with owner and chairman Phil Wallace and sporting director Leon Hunter both told the club in the summer that they saw Evans's spell in charge as a catalyst for cultural change at the club.
The chairman felt that in Leon there was a real gem, a real diamond, who had a role to play, but everything he brought was simply thrown away by previous managers. I think there needs to be some understanding with sporting directors.
“It doesn't matter who brings a player into the team. If someone calls you and says go see a striker who is 17 and has just scored 50 goals in a division four leagues below, you have to send someone there immediately, that's my approach.”
Sourse: skysports.com
