Fergie hails starlet Evans
Stuart Brennan
RISING STAR: Jonathan EvansJONNY Evans can return from his season's loan with Royal Antwerp and start to push for a first-team place at Old Trafford.
That was the belief of Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who is convinced the teenage centre-half can be the latest in an illustrious line of Ulstermen to play for the Reds - from Jackie Blanchflower through George Best to Sammy McIlroy and Norman Whiteside.
Ferguson also has high hopes for Eccles lad Danny Simpson and midfielder Lee Martin who, like Evans, have made a big impression during high-profile games in pre-season.
Belfast-born Evans, who is 18, has caught the eye most, scoring in a friendly at Celtic and looking mature and sharp in the South Africa tour and last weekend's Amsterdam Tournament. Now he is to head off for a year at United's associate club Royal Antwerp in the Belgian second division.
Ferguson, normally cautious in his praise of up-and-coming talents, said: "Jonny has been here since he was 12 years of age. We have an academy in Belfast which has produced some terrific young players for us, and the scouting system in that part of the country has been very, very good to us.
"Jonny has wonderful composure, temperament, balance and stature and in a year's time he will be absolutely outstanding.
"I think he will play for Northern Ireland in the next year and a half, even though he is only 18. And I am 100 per cent certain he will be a Manchester United player."
Simpson is a year older than Evans, but there is already talk within Old Trafford that he will challenge fellow Salfordian Phil Bardsley for the right to be Gary Neville's natural successor at right back.
Ferguson, speaking at the launch of the Manchester United Premier Cup this week, said: "Danny is a local boy from Salford which has been a great breeding-ground for us over the past few decades. Danny has the potential to be an outstanding player. For a young boy he is a natural defender, with great speed. Our plan is to farm him out to Royal Antwerp along with Jonny."
Martin is a different case - he already had first-team experience with Wimbledon as a 16-year-old before joining United for an initial fee of £200,000 which could rise to £1m depending on his success. Last season he made his United first-team debut in the Carling Cup tie with Barnet.
Now 19, the Somerset lad usually plays up and down the left flank, and is also expected to go out on loan next week, with Rangers first in the queue to sign him.
"We signed Lee from Wimbledon two years ago, and he cost us some money, but we are now seeing why he cost us money.
"He came here for the final year of his schooling and then went into our academy. He will be farmed out this week to another club for six months to give him experience."
