Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted last week they thought Jonny Evans would develop into a midfielder when younger.

That revelation was a surprise even to Evans, who says he's only ever concentrated on defending during his time at United.

"That's the first time I've heard that!" he told manutd.com. "When I was in Northern Ireland I played as a midfielder. But from the age of about 15, all I've done is played at the back. It was a big learning curve for me and it took me a while to get used to it.

"My first season at centre-back in the youth team wasn't a great experience for me. It was pretty similar to last season, in a way! I just had to find a way to get over that and carry on."