Ian Evatt is an English football manager and former professional player, born on 19 November 1981 in Coventry, England. He began his playing career as a central midfielder but was later converted into a central defender. His professional playing career spanned from 1999 to 2018, during which he played for clubs including:
- Derby County
- Northampton Town (loan)
- Chesterfield (two spells)
- Queens Park Rangers
- Blackpool
He made over 500 league appearances and was part of promotion-winning teams at both Blackpool (to the Premier League in 2009–10) and Chesterfield (League Two champions in 2013–14)
Managerial Career
Evatt transitioned into management in 2018, starting with a caretaker role at Chesterfield. He gained recognition for his work at:
- Barrow (2018–2020): Guided them to promotion from the National League to League Two in the 2019–20 season.
- Bolton Wanderers (2020–2025): Achieved promotion from League Two to League One in 2020–21 and won the EFL Trophy in 2023. He also led Bolton to the League One play-off final in 2024, though they lost to Oxford United
He left Bolton in January 2025 after a dip in form and is currently being linked with a managerial role at Cardiff City.
Speaking to the Blackpool Gazette Evatt has said this week he's ready to get back to work after his dearture from Bolton:
“It’s the first time in 27 years that I’ve had a break from football, I went straight from playing to being a manager,” he stated.
“I’ve been a manager for seven years, and at one club for five - that takes some doing in modern day football.
“I was ready for a rest, and I’ve really enjoyed the break, but I’m starting to get itchy feet again and thinking about what comes next.
“I’ve had some offers that I’ve turned down, and didn’t feel was quite right for me at that moment, but there’s things happening all of the time. I’ll wait and be patient, and try to pick the right option.
“When you’re in the game, it’s 24 hours a day and it’s hard to gain perspective on what you’ve achieved, and also to grow and improve - and spend time thinking about what went well and what didn’t go well.
“I’ve had a lot of success in seven years: I’ve had promotions, I’ve won trophies, I think I’ve got the highest win ratio of any Bolton manager post-war, so I’ve done a lot so far, but the last few months have been helpful for me and I’m ready to go again.”