Ian Evatt

Ian Evatt
Personal information
Full name Ian Ross Evatt
Date of birth (1981-11-19) 19 November 1981
Place of birth Coventry, England
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) [1]
Playing position Central Defender
Club information
Current team
 Chesterfield
Number 6
Youth career
Derby County
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2003 Derby County 34 (0)
2001 → Northampton Town (loan) 11 (0)
2003–2005 Chesterfield 84 (9)
2005–2007 Queens Park Rangers 27 (0)
2006–2007 → Blackpool (loan) 26 (0)
2007–2013 Blackpool 204 (9)
2013– Chesterfield 103 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 04:50, 27 September 2016 (UTC).


Ian Ross Evatt (born 19 November 1981) is an English footballer who plays for Chesterfield.

He began his professional career in 1999 at Derby County and has also played for Northampton Town (on loan), Chesterfield, Queens Park Rangers and Blackpool.

Early life

Evatt was born in Coventry, West Midlands. As a child he supported hometown club Coventry City.[2]

Career

Derby County

When he was ten years old, Evatt played for the district side in his hometown and was scouted by Derby County. He started with them from the age of 11 years. He signed his first professional contract on his seventeenth birthday in 1998. His first appearance in the Derby team came in the last match of the 2000–01 season, on 19 May 2001 at Pride Park, when he replaced Þórður Guðjónsson in the 78th minute.[3][4] In the 2001–02 season he spent two months on loan with Division Two club Northampton Town, from 10 August to 10 October 2001, playing in eleven League games.[5] His next appearance for Derby came in April 2002 when he came on for Rob Lee against Newcastle United, then on the last day of the 2001–02 Premier League season he made his full debut against Sunderland, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–1 draw at the Stadium of Light. Derby were relegated and the following season, under new manager John Gregory, Evatt was a regular starter in the side.[4]

On 9 September 2002, Evatt scored the Rams' third goal as they beat Division Two club Mansfield Town 3–1 in the Worthington Cup.[6] In the following round against Oldham Athletic, Evatt found himself having to play in goal when Mart Poom got sent off.[7]

He started out as a centre-midfielder, before being moved to central defence. Evatt said of the move, "I started off my career in midfield. I played a few games in the Premier League and, as I got bigger, I moved backwards but I enjoyed it. They saw the potential for me to be a better centre-half."[3] Evatt suffered an injury in March 2003. Then, just before George Burley was appointed as manager to replace John Gregory, who had been sacked in March, Evatt had to have a double hernia operation and he did not feature much for Derby afterwards.

He made a total of 34 League appearances for the Rams, including some in the Premier League,[3] but was released by George Burley at the end of the 2002–03 season.[8][9][10]

Chesterfield

Evatt signed for Division Two club Chesterfield in July 2003, with Spireites manager Roy McFarland saying that Evatt was his number-one target to take to the club.[8] Initially he played in midfield, where he struggled, before being moved by McFarland into central defence, where his performances improved.[11] He went on to become the club captain[3] and he won the Player of the Season award for the 2003–04 season.[12] However, in the summer he needed a further hernia operation as the operation the previous year while he was with Derby did not fix the problem.[13]

On 26 August 2004, Evatt signed a contract extension with the club to the summer of 2007,[14] saying that it took him just five minutes to make the decision to sign, as he felt the club were "going in the right direction".[15] In February 2005, Chesterfield turned down an offer for Evatt from Bristol City. He was also attracting interest from other clubs, including Leicester City.[16][17]

At the end of the 2004–05 season, Evatt won the SIFA Player of the Season Award and was runner-up in the CFSS Player of the Season Award.[18] He made a total of 84 League appearances, scoring nine goals for the Spireites.

Queens Park Rangers

On 2 June 2005, Evatt signed a three-year contract with Championship club Queens Park Rangers for a fee of £150,000, under a clause in his contract at Chesterfield that allowed him to move if a six-figure bid was made.[19] On 3 December 2005, during an away match against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, Evatt was assaulted by a Stoke fan. When a Stoke City player was sent off, resulting in a penalty being awarded to QPR, a young Potters fan ran onto the pitch and jumped at Evatt from behind, knocking him to the floor, where he was also alleged to have punched Evatt. The youth was arrested and subsequently charged with assault. He was banned from attending football matches for three years and at trial pleaded guilty to assault.[20]

Evatt made 27 League appearances for the Hoops. On 1 August 2006 he was sent on a six-month loan to Blackpool, who were then in League One. He made 26 appearances for the Bloomfield Road club.

Blackpool

QPR terminated Evatt's contract, enabling him to join Blackpool on a permanent basis on 5 January 2007, during the transfer window. He signed an 18-month contract, with the League One club having an option for a further year.[21]

Evatt scored his first goal for the Seasiders in the fourth round of the FA Cup against Norwich City on 27 January 2007. His equaliser took the tie to a replay at Carrow Road.[22][23]

On 19 March 2007, Evatt was named in the Press Association's League One "Team of the Week".[24] In May 2007 he was part of the Blackpool team that won promotion to the Championship in the 2006–07 Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium.[25]

After two-and-a-half months out with a medial knee ligament injury[3] Evatt returned to action on 8 December 2007, as a 65th-minute substitute for Michael Jackson in the West Lancashire derby against Preston North End.[26] However, he was out of action again in early 2008 when he suffered back and hamstring injuries.[27]

Evatt scored his first League goal for Blackpool on 25 October 2008 at Bloomfield Road when he headed their second equaliser in a 2–2 draw with Crystal Palace.[28]

He made his 100th League appearance for Blackpool on 24 January 2009, in a 2–0 victory over Birmingham City at Bloomfield Road. On 2 April 2009, Evatt signed a new two-year contract with Blackpool, with an option for a further year.[29]

Evatt scored his second goal for the Seasiders, and his first in the League, on 15 August 2009, in Blackpool's first home game of the 2009–10 season, a 1–1 draw at Bloomfield Road against Cardiff City. His 300th career appearance was as a 36th-minute substitute in a 0–0 draw with Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on 24 October. He was named in The Championship "Team of the Week" following his performance and goal in Blackpool's 4–1 home win over Scunthorpe United on 7 November.[30]

After Blackpool's promotion to the Premier League, he was sent off half an hour into their second fixture, a 6–0 reversal at Arsenal on 21 August 2010.

Evatt was named in the "Team of the Week" for week fourteen of the campaign, sharing the centre-back role with Aston Villa's Ciaran Clark.[31]

Evatt was Blackpool's only ever-present player in their 38 Premier League matches during the 2010–11 season. This included one substitute appearance against Aston Villa at Villa Park on 10 November 2010.

After the departure of Keith Southern to Huddersfield Town in July 2012, Evatt inherited the accolade of being Blackpool's longest-serving current player.

Return to Chesterfield

After his release from Blackpool in June 2013, Evatt re-joined Chesterfield on a two-year contract on 30 July 2013.[32] He scored his first goal in his second spell for the club against Fleetwood Town in the Football League Trophy Northern Area Final on 4 February 2014.[33]

Career statistics

As of match played 24 September 2016
Club performance League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Club Season League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Derby County2000–01Premier League1000000010
Northampton Town (loan)2001–02Second Division110-2000130
Derby County2001–02Premier League30--0030
2002–03Championship300102100331
Total 340102100371
Chesterfield2003–04Second Division435111020476
2004–05414101000434
Total 8492120209010
Queens Park Rangers2005–06Championship270-1000280
Blackpool2006–07League One440511000541
2007–08Championship290102000320
2008–09331101000351
2009–10364101030414
2010–11Premier League 381000000381
2011–12Championship 393000030423
2012–13 120001000130
Chesterfield2013–14League Two341200061422
2014–15League One 391101020431
2015–16 231301000271
2016–17 7000101090
Total 10336030911224
Career total 4432016214117149024
Notes

a. 3 league play-off appearances for Blackpool in 2007 (included in 2006–07 total)
b. 3 league play-off appearances for Blackpool in 2010 (included in 2009–10 total)
c. 3 league play-off appearances for Blackpool in 2012 (included in 2011–12 total)
d. All Football League Trophy results are included in totals

Honours

Blackpool

References

  1. ↑ "Premier League Player Profile". Premier League. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Evatt hails 'excellent' Pool fans". Blackpool Gazette. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "From young ram to grown man – Evatt puts Derby disappointment behind him and pushes forward in his career". Up The Pool. Blackpool: Blackpool F.C. 2008–09 season (Blackpool vs Derby County): 34–37. 21 October 2008.
  4. 1 2 "In focus this week Ian Evatt". Chesterfield F.C. 27 September 2003. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  5. ↑ "Cobblers aim to keep Evatt". bbc.co.uk. 6 September 2001. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  6. ↑ "Mansfield 1–3 Derby". bbc.co.uk. 9 September 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  7. ↑ "Derby 1-2 Oldham". BBC. 2 October 2002. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Spireites snap up Evatt". bbc.co.uk. 15 July 2003. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  9. ↑ "players – Ian Evatt". Soccerbase. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
  10. ↑ "Derby release 10 players". bbc.co.uk. 15 May 2003. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  11. ↑ "Mac sticks with Evo". Chesterfield F.C. 2 February 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  12. ↑ "Ian Evatt Player of the Season". Chesterfield F.C. 2 March 2005. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  13. ↑ "Evatt faces hernia op". Chesterfield F.C. 9 May 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  14. ↑ "Evatt extends contract". Chesterfield F.C. 26 August 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  15. ↑ "Why I signed new deal". Chesterfield F.C. 28 August 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  16. ↑ "Evatt attracts Leicester interest". bbc.co.uk. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  17. ↑ "The latest on Ian Evatt". Chesterfield F.C. 2 March 2005. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  18. ↑ "Nicholson scoops award". Chesterfield F.C. 29 April 2005. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  19. ↑ "Evatt completes Loftus Road move". bbc.co.uk. 2 June 2005. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  20. ↑ "Teenager banned for pitch attack". bbc.co.uk. 17 January 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  21. ↑ "Blackpool recruit Evatt from QPR". bbc.co.uk. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  22. ↑ "Results/Fixtures Blackpool 1 Norwich 1". Soccerbase. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  23. ↑ "Blackpool 1–1 Norwich". bbc.co.uk. 27 January 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  24. ↑ "League One Team of the Week (19/03/2007)" (PDF). The Football League. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  25. ↑ "Yeovil 0–2 Blackpool". bbc.co.uk. 27 May 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  26. ↑ "Preston 0–1 Blackpool". bbc.co.uk. 8 December 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  27. ↑ Canavan, Steve (18 February 2008). "Grayson set to raid loan market". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  28. ↑ "Match report, Blackpool vs Crystal Palace". Blackpool F.C. 25 October 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  29. ↑ "Evatt extends Blackpool contract". bbc.co.uk. 2 April 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
  30. ↑ "Championship Team Of The Week (−09/11/2009)" (PDF). The Football League. 9 November 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  31. ↑ http://www.premierleague.com/page/TeamOfTheWeek/0,,12306~2233760,00.html
  32. ↑ "Ian Evatt makes Chesterfield return after Blackpool exit" (URL). BBC Sport. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  33. ↑ "Fleetwood 1-3 Chesterfield". BBC. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
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