Antony Evans insists he's focusing on firing Bristol Rovers up the League Two table and any discussions around extending his stay at the Mem will take place at the end of the season.
Evans has been an undoubted success story for the Gas after arriving just before deadline day last summer with the elegant midfielder scoring four goals in 17 games and adding six assists, emerging as one of the best attacking midfielders in the division.
The 23-year-old has boosted his reputation significantly in England after mixed loans previously at Blackpool, Morecambe and Crewe Alexandra and time spent in Germany with Paderborn in which his progress was halted by the pandemic and a bizarre decision to try and covert him into a right-back.
However, having signed only a one-year contract when he moved to north Bristol, Evans will become a free agent in the summer and while there is a desire internally to secure him on longer terms, those wishes will have to wait until the end of the season.
"We've got a lot of games to play, I haven't really thought about contract situation at this moment," Evans said. "I'm just focused on getting Rovers up the table and into the play-offs, hopefully automatics, you never know, anything can happen, so we'll see what happens come the end of the season.
"It's great for me to get such a nice reception from the fans and putting on performances that they're enjoying, it's a nice touch."
In reality, Rovers' chances of keeping the cultured midfielder may rest on what division they're playing in coupled with Joey Barton's own unique sales pitch, given the manager was so instrumental in bringing Evans to BS7 in the first place.
Barton did admit earlier this month that keeping Evans and Sam Nicholson, also out of contract in the summer, will depend on as much as what Rovers do, as it will be the players' own thoughts.
"How well we’re doing, the kind of group we’ve got in the second half of the season...their futures are in our hands, really," Barton said.
"If we do really, really well, play good football and the lads are enjoying it - which I think they are in this moment - then that always gives you the best chances of keeping your best players.”
Evans has been given a regular starting role, in his favoured advanced midfield position, and has also been handed plenty of responsibility in possession, not to mention as the Gas' dead-ball specialist.
He struck the match-deciding goal against Hartlepool last weekend with a wonderful technical free-kick, which dipped over the wall kissed the underside of the crossbar and then nestled over the line.
Evans then ran to the West Stand, displaying a heart symbol with his fingers and blowing several kisses to his family who had travelled down from the north West to spend the weekend in Bristol.
It's moments like that which not only emphasise his importance to the team but also help build a lasting tie between the player and the club.
For now, at least, Evans seems to be relishing his time in the blue and white quarters with Swindon on Saturday offering another chance to cement his relationship with the Gasheads as 3,000 are expected to travel along the M4 to the County Ground.
"It's the biggest run of games I've ever had and this club has given me the chance to play week-in, week-out and, at the moment, I'm returning the numbers and want to keep them up," Evans added.
"I've had a couple of loan spells and went out to Germany, but I didn't really get the game time I was after, I've got that here and you can see now what I'm capable of.
"Playing for the Gasheads... we've got 3,000 going there and there aren't many teams who are going to take that to an away game and we're lucky to have the fans and hopefully we can take the points and give them a good weekend."
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