Corry Evans hoping for a change of luck

The 30-year-old suffered a horrific facial injury against Preston North End at Ewood Park back in January which looked to have ended his season.

The coronavirus pandemic gave Evans the opportunity to play again, and he scored in Rovers first game back in June in the 3-1 win over Bristol City.

But his bad fortune struck again as he picked up another injury which forced him out of the final eight encounters of the season.

“Obviously it’s been a difficult year for myself, it didn’t help with the whole pandemic going on,” said Evans.

“Thankfully the surgeon did a great job and I’m back on the pitch doing what I love.

“It was just as I was beginning my rehab back on the grass that we got into lockdown so it disrupted it in that way.

“I had to keep myself ticking over at home, which is always difficult.

“But I was determined to get back and I did get back and play in the first game after the re-start – and then broke my toe in that game, so that finished the rest of my season, unfortunately.

“I’m back now, feeling good again, and hopefully I can have a bit more luck now.”

Evans is preparing for Northern Ireland’s Nations League tie with Romania in Bucharest on Friday with a new manager at the helm.

The midfielder believes Ian Baraclough can build on the successful foundations laid by Michael O’Neill as they build towards next month’s Euro qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Of course it’s possible. Obviously we’ll miss Michael and be forever grateful for what he did for this team and the country.

“But us players who had that experience now have to carry it on.

“I’m sure ‘Bara’ knows that as he’s well, he’s going to rely on the older heads in the squad to keep that team DNA, if you like, to keep driving us forward.

“It’s always exciting when a new manager comes in, bit of the unknown – but I’ve known Ian from the Under-21s, he was with the senior squad a few times.

“He’s been around, the lads know him, the younger boys in the squad know him from the 21s. It’s been good so far, everyone’s enjoying it.

“Not much has changed. He knows that he doesn’t really need to change much.There are a couple of new staff members in the medical and coaching departments.”

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