Steve Evans has said he is “not going anywhere” amid speculation linking the Bristol Rovers manager with the vacant job at Hibernian.
Evans said there had been “no contact” from the Scottish Premiership club, who sacked manager David Gray on 16 September after six successive home defeats. The Bristol Rovers boss described himself as “humbled” to be linked with a job of Hibernian’s size and said his commitment was to his current club.
“I’m humbled to be linked to a job like that because if you’re a Scotsman you know how big a football club that is but I’m not going anywhere,” Evans told BBC Radio Bristol. “I’ve come here to deliver on a project – it doesn’t feel like that driving home this evening – but my commitment is to this football club.”
Evans took over at Bristol Rovers last December and, after securing the club’s safety in League Two last season, signed a new contract in April to extend his agreement at the Memorial Stadium until 2028. The Gas are sixth in the League Two table with four wins from their opening seven games, though they suffered a second consecutive defeat with a 3-0 loss away to Gillingham on Saturday.
The 63-year-old has never managed in his home country during a 32-year career in the dugout, having spent his playing days with Clyde, Albion Rovers, Ayr United, Hamilton Academical and St Johnstone. A lifelong Celtic fan, Evans said there was “a certain team in Glasgow” that could take his career to Scotland.
“I’ve often maintained there’s only one club that will take me to Scotland and, if they ever did ring, I’m in the car,” he added. “A certain team in Glasgow, there’s only one team I would leave this for and of course my country because everyone would manage their country. I don’t think I’ll get either of those jobs now but that’s the only team I’d go north of the border for.”