# Steve Evans (footballer, born 1962)
**Steve Evans** (born 1962) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, currently the manager of League Two club Bristol Rovers. A Glaswegian whose playing career was ended at 24 by a knee ligament injury, he built a long managerial career in English football, winning promotions with Boston United, Crawley Town, Rotherham United, and [Stevenage](https://www.edgepedia.org/stevenage).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best-known achievement | Back-to-back promotions at Rotherham United, taking the club from League Two to the Championship[1](https://www.bettingodds.com/thesackrace/managers/steve-evans) |
| Honours won | 8 as a manager, including the Conference in 2010-11 and 2001-02 and promotions to League One in 2011-12 and 2012-13[2](https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/steve-evans/) |
| Current role | Bristol Rovers manager, appointed 16 December 2025, contract extended in April to run until 2028[3](https://www.transfermarkt.us/steve-evans/profil/trainer/4127) • [4](https://bbc.com.im/sport/football/articles/cm624j085qxzo) |
| Health | Lost 7 st 1 lb after a cardiologist's intervention at Papworth Hospital, having peaked at 20.5 stone[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey) |
## Playing career
A severe knee ligament injury forced him to end his playing career at the age of 24[6](https://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/leeds-united/s752/st190860/who-is-steve-evans).
## Managerial career
**Early clubs.** Evans's recorded managerial terms begin at Boston United, where he was in charge from 2 March 2004 to 27 May 2007 and won four honors, including the Southern League Premier Division in 1999-00 and promotion to the Football Conference[2](https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/steve-evans/). His final season at Boston ended in relegation from League Two after a defeat against Wrexham, during severe financial troubles at the club[6](https://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/leeds-united/s752/st190860/who-is-steve-evans).
**Crawley Town and Rotherham.** He managed Crawley Town from 29 May 2007 to 8 April 2012, winning two honors including the Conference in 2010-11, with a win rate of 48.12 percent over 266 games[2](https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/steve-evans/). It was as Crawley manager that he met Sir Alex Ferguson after an [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) tie against Manchester United in 2011, when Ferguson told him to lose weight[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey). He then moved to Rotherham United on 8 April 2012 and stayed until 28 September 2015, winning two honors in 173 games; in his first spell at the club he achieved back-to-back promotions, taking [Rotherham](https://www.edgepedia.org/rotherham) from League Two up to the Championship[2](https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/steve-evans/) • [1](https://www.bettingodds.com/thesackrace/managers/steve-evans).
**Leeds, Mansfield, Peterborough, Gillingham.** Evans became Leeds United manager on 19 October 2015, following the sacking of Uwe Rosler after just 12 games in charge, and left on 31 May 2016 after 38 games[2](https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/steve-evans/) • [6](https://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/leeds-united/s752/st190860/who-is-steve-evans). He then had spells at Mansfield Town (16 November 2016 to 27 February 2018) and Peterborough United (from 28 February 2018)[2](https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/steve-evans/). FotMob lists his coaching career as also including Gillingham, Stevenage, and Crawley Town[7](https://www.fotmob.com/players/248403/steve-evans).
**Stevenage and a second Rotherham spell.** Evans took over at Stevenage in March 2022 with the club facing relegation from the EFL; a year after his appointment the club had risen from 21st in the table to 2nd, and he led Stevenage up to League One in 2022/23[8](https://www.efl.com/news/2023/december/08/steve-evans---i-still-have-that-hunger-with-stevenage-/) • [1](https://www.bettingodds.com/thesackrace/managers/steve-evans). He lost that job at Rotherham in March 2025[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey).
**Bristol Rovers.** After securing the club's safety in the fourth tier, he signed a new contract in April extending his agreement at the Memorial Stadium until 2028[4](https://bbc.com.im/sport/football/articles/cm624j085qxzo). In September 2026 he rejected speculation linking him with the vacant Hibernian job, saying there had been no contact from the [Scottish Premiership](https://www.edgepedia.org/scottish-premiership) club and that his commitment was to Bristol Rovers[4](https://bbc.com.im/sport/football/articles/cm624j085qxzo). He has never managed in his home country[4](https://bbc.com.im/sport/football/articles/cm624j085qxzo).
## Health and weight loss
After leaving Rotherham in March 2025, Evans undertook a major weight-loss program. A cardiologist at Papworth Hospital told him, "do you want to see your grandkids properly grow up?", and set him a fitness and diet plan[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey). His weight had reached 20.5 stone; by August 2025 he had lost 7 st 1 lb, and the specialist told him his test results were those of a much younger man[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey). His diet was initially 800 calories a day, later a steady 1,600, and he trained daily with swimming, sauna, and cycling[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey).
The advice had a long history. Ferguson had told him in 2011, after Crawley's narrow FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, that his weight might stop him getting the job he deserved[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey). Evans has said the pressure in his work came from himself rather than from owners or supporters, and he works on his mental well-being with a mentor, meeting him twice a week[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey).
## Personal life
Evans grew up on the Circuit, an estate in Cambuslang, and is a lifelong Celtic fan; as a boy he walked to [Hampden Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/hampden-park) on 15 April 1970 to see [Jock Stein](https://www.edgepedia.org/jock-stein)'s Celtic side play Leeds United in the European Cup[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey). He is married to Sarah, who joined and supported his exercise program[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey).
## References
1. [Steve Evans, Bristol Rovers Manager, The Sack Race (BettingOdds.com)](https://www.bettingodds.com/thesackrace/managers/steve-evans)
2. [Steve Evans Manager Statistics, ManagerStats.co.uk](https://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/steve-evans/)
3. [Steve Evans, Manager profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/steve-evans/profil/trainer/4127)
4. [Evans committed to Bristol Rovers amid Hibs links, BBC Sport](https://bbc.com.im/sport/football/articles/cm624j085qxzo)
5. [Steve Evans speaks to Henry Winter about his seven stone weight loss journey, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-specialist-said-do-you-want-to-see-your-grandkids-properly-grow-up-hes-given-me-an-opportunity-to-extend-my-life-steve-evans-speaks-to-henry-winter-about-his-incredible-seven-stone-weight-loss-journey)
6. [Who is Steve Evans?, The Mighty Whites (The Football Network)](https://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/leeds-united/s752/st190860/who-is-steve-evans)
7. [Steve Evans, stats and career, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/players/248403/steve-evans)
8. [Steve Evans: 'I still have that hunger with Stevenage', The English Football League](https://www.efl.com/news/2023/december/08/steve-evans---i-still-have-that-hunger-with-stevenage-/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Managers and coaches › Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish managers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license