Chris Evans

Chris Evans

Freelance Writer

Chris Evans is a freelance journalist and has been a regular FourFourTwo contributor since 2014, covering a wide range of stories up and down the football pyramid. Chris's work has also appeared in the Guardian, the Independent and other national newspapers, as well as on the BBC Sport and Mail websites. He is also the author of two books for Bloomsbury Sport, How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from International Football's Top Managers in 2022, and Gary Lineker: A Portrait of a Football Icon, which was published in 2025.

Latest articles by Chris Evans

Best players in the Premier League
Ranked! The 50 Best Premier League players of the season

By Ed McCambridge Published

RANKED! From warhorses to Wor History-Makers, FourFourTwo ranks a half-century of talent from 2024/25 – has your man made the cut?

RANKED!
WIN a copy of ‘Gary Lineker: A Portrait of a Football Icon’ a new biography by Chris Evans

By FourFourTwo Staff Published

WIN! We have a copy of the new Gary Lineker biography to giveaway to one lucky reader

WIN!
BRISTOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Jocelyn Precheur, Manager of London City Lionesses, reacts in a team huddle after the Barclays Women's Championship match between Bristol City and London City Lionesses at Ashton Gate on January 19, 2025 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Rise of the (other) Lionesses: How one independent Women's Championship side are aiming high

By Chris Evans Published

EXCLUSIVE Not backed by a men's team, Women's Championship side London City Lionesses are setting ambitious targets under leading Lyon Féminin owner, Michele Kang

EXCLUSIVE
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 29: Cristiano Ronaldo of Man.Utd reacts after a missed chance on goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford on March 29, 2008 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
“I asked Cristiano Ronaldo, ‘Did you mean it?’ He went, ‘Sorry?’ I didn’t think he’d heard, but he had and was like, ‘Are you f**king kidding? Yes I meant it!’”: When the Portuguese superstar didn't like being doubted

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Cristiano Ronaldo didn't like his skill being doubted in one particular interview...

EXCLUSIVE
Kelly Cates 'It's weird I still get asked about my dad's football career – I'm nearly 50!'

By Chris Evans Published

The Sky Sports and BBC presenter on life as Kenny Dalglish’s daughter, Ronnie Whelan’s Coke bubble tips and a love for Wayne Rooney

Coaches & Managers
Todd Boehly
'Chelsea have done nothing wrong because they have kept within the rules, but they certainly haven’t kept within the spirit of the rules': Football finance expert on issues with PSR

By Ryan Dabbs Published

Chelsea have taken advantage of the Premier League's rules, which aren't 'fit for purpose'

Team
Chelsea's players prepare for a group huddle ahead of kick-off in the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge in London on October 6, 2024. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images)
'When you realise how much of the recruitment has been data-driven, you think, "Actually, this is an interesting experiment". It’s high risk, high reward': Chelsea transfer policy intriguing former Stamford Bridge star

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Chelsea are moving in a clear direction with their transfers, according to one former player

EXCLUSIVE
'We were 2-0 up and I started thinking, "The clock is going really slow now!"'– Ex-Leeds boss remembers the time his Whites side silenced Manchester United at Old Trafford

By Ryan Dabbs Published

Leeds United love nothing more than leading against Manchester United at Old Trafford, though failing to hang on for victory can be a devastating blow...

Team
FRISCO, TX - MARCH 05: England head coach Phil Neville during the Women's SheBelieves Cup match between the USA and England on March 05, 2020 at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
‘Phil Neville tried a lot of different ideas to get the best out of the Lionesses, but things weren’t quite right and needed ironing out – that wasn’t his fault’: Former England women's star reflects on time with national team

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Phil Neville managed England for three years - but things didn't quite work out how everyone would have liked

EXCLUSIVE
Football League top 50 FourFourTwo EFL
Ranked! The top 50 Football League players 2023/24

By Chris Flanagan Published

EFL TOP 50 As the season’s run-in approaches, it can only mean one thing: with help from our readers, it’s time for FFT’s annual list of the finest stars outside the top flight

EFL TOP 50
Blur's Graham Coxon, Damon Albarn, Dave Rowntree and Alex James at album launch on February 1, 1997 in London.
'We’ve got more money than we know what to do with' Blur wanted something better than cash for being on FIFA 98 and they got it

By Tom Hancock Published

The iconic Britpop group provided theme music for the game – but they didn't want paying for it, at least not in the conventional manner

Team
Avril Lavigne attends the Christian Siriano SS24 Runway Show at The Pierre Hotel on September 08, 2023 in New York City.
'One of her very first gigs was in our canteen' – How EA Sports discovered Avril Lavigne

By Tom Hancock Published

Football video game FIFA somehow played a key role in launching the Canadian popstar's career

Team
EA Sports FC 24
‘It sleepwalked into a cultural phenomenon’ – How FIFA video games became an accidental sensation

By Chris Evans Published

The FIFA games - this year rebranded as EA Sports FC - might never have been developed at all, FFT hears...

Person
Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton and Hove Albion during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion at Molineux on August 19, 2023 in Wolverhampton, England.
How Brighton game the loan market to aid their youth development

By Tom Hancock Published

The Seagulls are soaring, and their incredible success in recent years owes much to their meticulous use of loan deals

Person
Brighton & Hove Albion have become the envy of Europe - and club staff aren't even allowed to know the full extent of how the club is so successful
Brighton & Hove Albion Chief Executive Paul Barber on his secret recruitment algorithm that even club staff don’t have knowledge of

By Ryan Dabbs Published

The Seagulls have become the envy of Europe thanks to a formula even club staff allowed to know the full extent of

Player
Brighton's Italian head coach Roberto De Zerbi celebrates at the end of the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle United at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on September 2, 2023.
'The world is a huge place': FFT gets the inside track on Brighton's scouting network

By Tom Hancock Published

Brighton's recruitment has been among the very best at the top level in recent years, and they let us in on some of their secrets...

Competition
Brighton & Hove Albion's Evan Ferguson (right) celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United at American Express Community Stadium on September 2, 2023 in Brighton, England.
'Anything is possible': Brighton CEO insists there is no ceiling on the Seagulls' potential

By Tom Hancock Published

FourFourTwo sat down with Brighton chief executive Paul Barber to get the inside track on the Seagulls' remarkable rise

Competition
Evan Ferguson of Brighton and Hove Albion
How Brighton convinced Evan Ferguson to sign for them rather than his boyhood club Manchester United

By Tom Hancock Published

FourFourTwo caught up with one of Brighton's key figures behind the scenes for our latest issue

Coaches & Managers
Players of Luton Town hold up the jersey of injured captain Tom Lockyer (not pictured) as they celebrate with the Sky Bet Championship Play Offs Final trophy following their team’s victory in the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final between Coventry City and Luton Town at Wembley Stadium on May 27, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Luton Town exited the Football League in 2010 but have since climbed to the Premier League: Five others have dropped never to be seen again

By Ryan Dabbs Published

Luton Town have climbed five divisions in just 13 years, but some other clubs haven't been so lucky after falling out the Football League

Competition
Joe Kinnear Luton Town manager at Kenilworth Road in 2002
Luton Town and ‘Manager Idol’: Recalling the phone-in competition that let supporters vote for their preferred manager

By Ryan Dabbs Published

Luton Town have come a long way in 20 years - just ask Joe Kinnear, Steve Cotterill and Mike Newell...

Coaches & Managers
Luton Town Kenilworth Road Tom Lockyer scores Formula 1 race track
Luton Town once proposed a 70,000 seater replacement for Kenilworth Road, complete with Formula One track

By Ryan Dabbs Published

Luton Town were just a Championship side at the time, but that didn't stop their then-owners from dreaming big...

Competition
Luton Town manager Mick Harford consoles his dejected players after the Coca-Cola league two match between Luton Town and Chesterfield at Kenilworth Road on April 13, 2009 in Luton, England. Luton drew the match 0-0 and were subsequently relegated from the football league. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
‘A sad day’: Former Luton Town manager Mick Harford recalls the day the club were deducted a massive 30 points in League Two

By Ryan Dabbs Published

Only 14 years ago, Luton Town were dropping out of the Football League. Now, they're preparing for life in the Premier League

Competition
Alex Greenwood
‘We’ve changed more mentality-wise than ability-wise’ – Alex Greenwood on the ten-year evolution of England’s Lionesses

By Ed McCambridge Published

EXCLUSIVE The Euro 2022 winner explains to FourFourTwo how the Lionesses have risen to the top of world football

EXCLUSIVE
Georgia Stanway of England during the Women's International Friendly match between England and Portugal at Stadium mk on July 01, 2023 in Milton Keynes, England.
England women's midfielder Georgia Stanway explains why the Lionesses don’t like packing their bags

By Ryan Dabbs Published

England women's team will certainly want to avoid an early departure at the World Cup to avoid that task

Competition
Alessia Russo of England on the pitch during the Women's International Friendly match between England and Portugal at Stadium MK on July 01, 2023 in Milton Keynes, England.
'England always have a target on their backs': Alessia Russo relishing pressure ahead of Women's World Cup 2023

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE England striker Alessia Russo is looking forward to taking on the best defenders in world football

EXCLUSIVE
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