'The specialist said, "Do you want to see your grandkids properly grow up?" He’s given me an opportunity to extend my life' Steve Evans speaks to Henry Winter about his incredible seven stone weight loss journey

Sir Alex Ferguson once gave Steve Evans some advice. “Steve, try and get some weight off. It might stop you getting the job you deserve. You’re gifted, you could go a long way, (to) this level.”

So said the Manchester United manager to Evans, whose Crawley side had just narrowly lost in the FA Cup to Ferguson’s side in 2011. Evans was enjoying a private chat and drink with Ferguson in his Old Trafford office.

Ferguson, ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest managers ever, mentioned that his fellow Scot’s career might be limited by an image problem posed by his excess weight. It was an observation, delivered in passing, before Ferguson moved on to other subjects.

Super-sized sombrero

Evans has taken 14 years – and further jobs at Rotherham, Leeds, Mansfield, Peterborough, Gillingham, Stevenage and Rotherham again - to heed Ferguson’s advice.

Evans always has been a larger-than-life character, once wearing a sombrero, shorts and flip-flops for a Rotherham game at Elland Road, but he was also super-sized.

A poor diet saw his weight balloon to “20 and a half stone” as he recalls, talking at his home near Peterborough.

“When it's a stressful time, it won’t be the first time I've come in here, bottle of red, finished in half an hour before bed.

“I’ve never been an excessive drinker; I’ve been excessive eating stupid stuff. Go and watch a game, get in the car, where’s open? Cambridge? I know a chip shop there, it’s famous.

"McDonald's, Kentucky. After a while, I became oblivious to the weight. At clubs, the doctor or physios would say, ‘Gaffer, you need to get some weight off.’ My wife Sarah would often say, ‘get this weight off’. And I’d say, ‘I know, I know. Let me get through these next three games.’ I've never been proud of it. I had to have a lifestyle change.”

In March, Evans lost his job at Rotherham but regained control of his life. Evans sat with Sarah to ponder his options.

Motherwell was a possibility plus opportunities in the EFL. “I have to earn. My wife has a good job. But we’re not like I’m a Premier League manager sacked and we have loads of money (compensation).”

Sarah suggested a break, and a reboot. She was concerned about Evans’ weight. “I’m going to help you,” she told him. “I'll start running.” Evans was startled.

“My wife never ran a metre on her life! She said, ‘we start tomorrow’.”

First, Evans went to see a cardiologist at Papworth Hospital. “We've got four grandkids. The specialist said, ‘do you want to see them properly grow up? You’re not going to go tomorrow, but do you want me to get a (fitness/diet) plan for you?

"You have to invest time. But you f*** with me once and we’re finished. I will treat you to save your life.’ He’s given me an opportunity to extend my life.”

Helped by Sarah’s example, and two daughters who run marathons, Evans was all in. He was in a local health club at 6am for swimming, sauna and cycling.

“Before, I couldn't swim any distance; it was ‘I’ll do three or four lengths and I'll pop in the hot tub now’.

"I’ve done 82 lengths this morning and 40 minutes on a bike." Any jabs? “Never.”

Diet has been strict, initially 800 calories a day, now a steady 1600: fruit for breakfast, fruit and yoghurt for lunch, chicken or fish with salad and veg for supper.

Evans wanted to seize this challenge set by Sarah. “I'm married to the most beautiful girl in the world, inside and out,” he says.

When Evans returned to Papworth for tests on August 8, the specialist was stunned.

“He said, ‘It’s amazing what you’ve done. You’re 62, you’re like 32 with the tests we’ve done’. I’ve lost 7st 1lb.”

People hardly recognise him now. Evans was on a break in Dubai last month, heading off one morning for a coffee and a catch-up with his friend Aitor Karanka, who’d not seen him since the weight loss. “He walked past me!” Evans laughs.

He did an interview with Sky Sports that brought a flood of messages from near and far.

“Darragh MacAnthony is abusive but in a nice way, banter way! ‘Can’t believe it, you’ve been reincarnated!’ Marcelo Bielsa! I couldn’t understand a lot of the message!

"There’s a boy who used to play at Nottingham Forest called Cafu, I've not spoken to him since Rotherham. I got five WhatsApp pages from him, brilliant, that means a lot.”

Keith Andrews, Emi Martinez and Chris Wood all messaged. “I called Chris Wood ‘fat’ when I was at Leeds. I spoke to the head of medical at Leeds, and asked, ‘is Chris carrying a bit of weight?’”

"After testing, the medical guy said, ‘It’s worse than we thought!’” Evans spoke to Wood, who focused on getting leaner. “He did the work, (became a) proper machine,” Evans reflects. He’s loving his former striker’s success at Forest.

Ivan Toney, his old Peterborough forward, also messaged. “The best front player I ever had by a country mile. Ivan had everything. He should have gone to a top four club.”

Evans was surprised that Thomas Tuchel used him for only three minutes (for England against Senegal in June).

“Ivan was raging. I spoke to him afterwards.” They speak fairly regularly.

“Ivan’s one of those kids who even when scoring in Premier League, would call up and say, ‘you and Sarah, let’s go for dinner - on me’. Humble boy.”

All of those messaging praised Evans’ single-mindedness. “I’m really determined. I’ve had to be in my career.”

He also had to be growing up in the Circuit, an estate in Cambuslang. A passionate Celtic fan, Evans even walked to Hampden Park on April 15, 1970 to see Jock Stein’s team play Leeds in the European Cup.

He reflected on the pressures of the job, noting that Jock Stein passed away as Scotland manager at 62 (the same age as Evans now) from underlying heart disease and fluid build-up in the lungs.

“I remember that night vividly... The medical staff couldn’t release the fluid out of his lungs, so it drowned him.”

Evans shakes his head at the pressures and perils of his profession. He also marvels at Ferguson, and his ability to remain in control, mixing hunger and humour.

He recalled spending £275 on a bottle of Rothschild 2004 wine for Ferguson, who initially called it "not the best," but later took it home, saying, “It’s a great red... I’m going to enjoy your red tonight!”

Ferguson was a managerial beast who thrived on pressure, but many struggle. Evans’ cardiologist noted: “It’s worse for football managers, all happy happy, get in the car, but they’re sweating and putting a brave face on.”

Evans believes David Moyes was hurt by his experiences at both Manchester United and West Ham, sacrificing a lot since his wife is in the North and he was working in the South.

Evans felt the pressure in his work rose from himself, not from owners or supporters.

“My demons are my own demons... I remember talking to Graeme Souness, and he was talking about self-pressure more than a pressure from above.”

He discussed rival manager criticism. After a draw two years ago, Joey Barton mocked Evans’ size, calling him “the fat man” and “the Weeble.”

Barton was sacked two days later. Later, Barton posted on X (Twitter), “How can you demand athletic outputs from professional men with a body like a bin liner full of milk?”

Evans shrugged off the abuse, but Barton's criticism of women’s football angered him more. “I'm delighted to see the ladies’ game go to the level it's gone. My granddaughter plays... It would hurt me more if somebody like Darren Ferguson or Shaun Dyche, people I respect, said something about me. That would get me.”

Evans works on his mental well-being with a mentor, John Cracknell, a retired local businessman, meeting him twice a week for a coffee and chat.

Another place he wants to be is back in a dug-out. “I'm thinking of League One, League Two. Wherever I’m based, I will find a swimming facility.

My daughter gets married next June in Cyprus, and my body will be a temple. I’ve been told if my body’s not a temple my life might be at risk!”