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Rob Dawson, Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, California — Jonny Evans said it has been “hard” to see Manchester United staff lose their jobs as part of the INEOS-led cuts.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to make 250 redundancies at Old Trafford in a bid to reduce costs.
A number of staff were told their jobs are at risk in the days leading up to the club’s preseason tour of the United States and Evans, who has been connected to United since the age of nine, has said its been a difficult period.
“A lot of people have lost their jobs their last couple of weeks, it’s been hard and difficult to see,” Evans said
“The new owners feel that’s the direction that they want to go. But, you know, it’s not been easy for everyone at the same time.
“There’s people you’ve known for 20 years and I think the timing of it happened when we came away on tour pretty much. So we were all a bit in the dark and I’m sure everything will be sorted out, things will be a bit more clear when we get back.”
Evans is in his second spell at United after coming through the academy and making his first-team debut as a 19-year-old in 2007.
His brother, Corry, played for United and his wife, Helen, works for the club’s in-house television channel, MUTV.
His dad, Jackie, also worked as an academy coach.
“It’s been a difficult thing to see,” said Evans.
“People I’ve known for a long, long time. One thing about working in a club like Man United, you’re all in and everyone’s always been all in, it’s a big massive staff. But I think that’s just been the culture of the club.
“It is for such, for a club, is such a huge size and the staff turn over, you have family members working there. My wife has been working at the club, my brother has been at the club, my dad’s been at the club.
“So it’s always had that feeling of people, they give everything they have for the club and it’s such a huge credit to them. That’s just because they love the place so much.”
The redundancy process is set to be finalised next month.
Players and first-team staff have not been affected, but Evans said the cuts have still been a topic in the dressing room while the team has been in America.
“Yeah, of course,” he said.
“Certain staff members being here, they’re friends, people that they’ve worked with, colleagues for a long time and I’m sure they’ll be feeling in that, there’s no doubt about that.”