Bizarre Leeds United roles reversed as former Elland Road boss replaces one-time Massimo Cellino target
A former Leeds United manager has been brought in to stave off League Two relegation trouble.
Former Leeds United manager Steve Evans has been appointed as Bristol Rovers boss - replacing a head coach that was approached by Massimo Cellino to succeed him at Elland Road nine years ago.
Evans lasted just seven months in the Elland Road dugout before being sacked in May 2016, having guided Leeds to a 13th-placed finish in the Championship. Whites owner Cellino had approached Darrell Clarke to succeed the Scotsman in West Yorkshire but was rebuffed, with the promising head coach instead signing a new contract at Bristol Rovers.
Having left initially in 2019, Clarke returned to Rovers in May but was sacked following Saturday’s 3-0 loss at home to Swindon Town, their 10th consecutive league defeat which has dropped them into the League Two relegation zone. And the tables now seem to have turned, with Evans succeeding Cellino’s one-time Leeds managerial target at the Memorial Stadium.
A statement from the League Two side said: “Bristol Rovers FC is delighted to announce the appointment of Steve Evans as the Men’s new first team Head Coach. Evans has put pen-to-paper on a contract with Rovers until the end of the season and will take charge of the Gas for the first time in Friday’s Sky Bet League Two trip to face Crewe Alexandra.”
Evans has been out of work since March when he was sacked by Rotherham. The former Leeds boss has also taken charge of Mansfield Town, Peterborough United, Gillingham and Stevenage since leaving Elland Road in 2016.
"It's fantastic to be here at Bristol Rovers,” Evans said. "Bristol Rovers is a Club that is very traditional. Every time I have brought teams here, I have always said it’s a really difficult place to come. I'm really looking forward to it here. It’s a huge club, but I'm very mindful of the immediate challenge and I’m looking forward to getting down to work.”
Leeds held talks with Bristol Rovers regarding compensation for Clarke back in 2016, but the West Country side later confirmed a new three-year deal for their manager. In a statement at the time, they directly addressed ‘speculation’ surrounding a move to Elland Road, with Cellino also failing to land MK Dons boss Karl Robinson before eventually appointing former Swansea City boss Garry Monk.
The appointment of Monk was well received in West Yorkshire, with the majority of Leeds fans surprised to see a promising young coach with Premier League experience drop into the Championship mid-table. The Whites finished seventh in the 2016/17 campaign before Andrea Radrizzani took over and appointed Thomas Christiansen.