Will Evans: I can't be one-season wonder for Newport County

The former farmer, who was playing in the Cymru Premier a little more than two years ago, was the surprise package in League Two last season.

Exiles boss Graham Coughlan even suggested that the 26-year-old should be in the Wales squad, and Evans topped it all off with a goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup.

As he prepares to return for pre-season training on July 1 – his 27th birthday – Evans knows he has a lot to live up to and he’s raring to go as County aim to put a disappointing end to last season behind them.

Speaking at the launch of Spabreaks.com’s Real Men Relax campaign, Evans said: “My pre-pre-season is well under way. You’ve got to keep ticking over and make sure you come back in good shape.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all the lads and getting back into a routine, but the physical side is tough in pre-season.

“You have to do it, it’s part and parcel of the game at whatever level you’re at, but it’s not enjoyable.”

After winning 2-0 at AFC Wimbledon on March 16, Coughlan’s men were just two points below the play-off places. But they lost their final eight games to slump to 18th – 15 points below the top seven.

THREAT: Will Evans was key for County last season (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“To lose eight in a row is not acceptable at any level – even if you’re playing on your PlayStation or Football Manager on your laptop,” admitted Evans.

“If you lose eight games [in a row] it’s not good enough, and as players we know that.

“We didn’t want it to peter out but it did. We had a thin squad with all the injuries, and we were running on fumes.

“Some of the young lads had to step up and they got some valuable experience, but we let ourselves down as a squad.

“We didn’t want to go into pre-season with a bad losing run, it’s never a good thing, and we need to get that monkey off our back as quickly as possible,” he added.

“We need to put that right come the first day of the season.

“We have to hit the ground running, and that starts in pre-season. We’ve got to put in the work and make sure we’re right, physically and mentally, to hit that game hard.”

With the departure of Omar Bogle this summer, Evans will be expected to shoulder the burden of being County’s main goalscorer again and he knows he has to shine again if he is to catch the eye of national manager Rob Page.

“It was a great season for me individually. The way the season ended did tarnish it slightly, but the off-season is great time to look back and reflect on what I did from an individual point of view,” said the former Bala Town man, who is under contract until next summer.

“I’m really happy with how it went. I couldn’t have done it without my team-mates, but it was a really positive season for me individually.

“But that season has gone now, and we look ahead. As much as it’s nice to look back on, that almost fuels me now to try to replicate it this year.

“I’ve got to show I can do it again. I definitely don’t want to be seen as a one-season wonder.”

Asked about his international ambitions, the former Wales C player says it would be a dream come true to earn a call-up to Page’s squad alongside former County men Josh Sheehan and Tom King.

“I remember watching Euro 2016 as an 18-year-old and it was incredible,” added Evans. “To reach national level would be the pinnacle for me.

“I’ve heard my name mentioned a few times in those conversations and it’s nice.

“Two years ago, or even a year ago, I wouldn’t have believed you if you’d said that was the case.

I’m not really thinking too much about it. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I don’t tend to set targets for myself, because it adds unnecessary pressure.

“There are brilliant Welsh strikers who are playing in higher divisions than me and for bigger teams – there’s a long list.

“You’ve got the likes of Aaron Collins, Mark Harris and Tom Bradshaw who weren’t even in the latest squad, and Paul Mullin as well. There are four very good strikers there, so, for me, it’s just about going again. You’ve got to look forward.”

And can the team as a whole improve on last season?

“First of all, we’ve got to end that losing run and then we go from there,” said the Exiles’ top scorer. “We’ll take it one game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves.

“It’s about turning losses into draws and draws into wins. And it’s about the little minute details that would have got us that extra 10 points or whatever we need to get into the play-offs.”

The hard work is about to start all over again for Evans and his team-mates.

Spabreaks.com's Real Men Relax campaign looks to highlight the wide array of reasons men should go to the spa to support their mental and physical health as well as manage everyday life challenges. (Image: Spabreaks.com)

Will Evans is an ambassador for Spabreaks.com’s Real Men Relax campaign, which aims to highlight the reasons why men should go to the spa. Find a selection of spas for men at spabreaks.com/categories/men