Jonny Evans pens a new Manchester United contract

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has penned a new deal for Manchester United and it should keep him at the club until at least June of 2016. The 24-year-old is certainly a player that divides opinion but he's seemingly held in high regard by manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Here's what the gaffer had to so say about the Northern Ireland international:

"Jonny has risen through the ranks to become an integral part of the first team squad. He has developed into a top player for us and has scored a couple of important goals this season too. I am delighted he has signed a new contract."

- Ferguson

Evans has been inconsistent and mistake-prone at times in the past. However, he is coming off his finest season at United when he was arguably one of the stand-out defenders in the Premier League. He's shown an improvement in aerial duels and as the manager points out, he's exhibited a knack for scoring goals as of late from set-pieces. He's very much a modern defenders as well in that he's comfortable on the ball with either foot and he even confidently provides runs from deep when he spots a gap to exploit.

United are perhaps in a transition state with their central-defenders. Rio Ferdinand is still a fine defender but at 34-years-old, his future at the club is uncertain. Captain Nemanja Vidic has been a world-class defender as recently as the spring of 2011, However, the 31-year-old Serbian has hardly featured since then due to numerous knee injuries. At this point in time, there are no certainties that Vida will return to his old world-class form. The talented Chris Smalling is definitely one for now and the future and it is he perhaps, along with Evans, that could possibly be the stalwarts at center-back in the near future. The highly-rated Phil Jones is certainly in contention as well but his ideal position has yet to be sorted out.