Sunderland skipper Corry Evans is spending time this summer taking his UEFA B coaching badge back in Belfast. The Northern Ireland international midfielder suffered a cruciate ligament injury in January which could keep him out until Christmas but the 32-year-old - who signed a new one-year contract extension with the Black Cats in February - is determined to use that time to good effect.
He has previously spoken of his desire to stay in the game when his playing career comes to an end and his decision to enrol on the UEFA B badge course run by the Northern Ireland FA is a step towards that ambition. Evans is part of a group taking the qualification that also includes former West Ham captain Nigel Reo-Coker and ex-Arsenal and Switzerland defender Phillipe Senderos.
"As a player you just focus on playing and you don't really think about the other side of the game in terms of the detail of what goes into what coaches plan," Evans told the Northern Ireland FA website. "I definitely have a lot more appreciation for what coaches do and the meticulous planning that has to be done to be at the high level of things.
