Jonny Evans spent almost a decade as a Manchester United player and he says he is happy for Jose Mourinho

• e-mail

Jonny Evans spent almost a decade as a Manchester United player winning three league titles in the process.

Ironically, though, it wasn't until he joined West Brom two years ago that many United fans and pundits really started talking about his Old Trafford career, insisting he should never have been allowed to leave.

Evans doesn't hesitate when that topic is brought up.

Jonny Evans in action for Northern Ireland against New Zealand on Friday

'When people say I should still be at United, I tend to ignore it and continue doing what I'm doing,' the Northern Ireland star says in the middle of a discussion about his club and international career ahead of next Saturday's vital World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan.

That's not to say he doesn't keep an eye on his old club, who he joined as a teenager. After all, his wife Helen remains a popular presenter on MUTV.

Evans watched with interest as Jose Mourinho's men lifted the Europa League and League Cup this season. The 29-year-old, schooled by the winning mentality of Sir Alex Ferguson, states that next term United must challenge for the Premier League to satisfy the demands of the supporters.

Evans spent a decade at Manchester United and is pleased about the club's recent success

'I am happy for them, having won two trophies and qualified for the Champions League but I'm sure next season they'll be expected to improve maybe more than they have and they'll be expected to challenge for the title, which is what Manchester United fans will demand,' stated the defender, who played 23 league games in the 2012-2013 campaign when United were last champions.

What WBA demand is quite different. They lost seven out of their last eight matches, yet Albion followers were content with their top half finish in the table.

'It's so different playing for Manchester United compared to playing for a team outside the top six. Playing for United every game is huge and everyone wants to beat you,' said Evans.

'We were a little bit disappointed in the end but being safe early on and finishing 10th we probably would have taken it at the start.

'It puts the club on another level and sets the expectations higher for next season. Tenth would be our minimum aim as it is always good to make progress. I think Europe is achievable and a good Cup run would be enjoyable. This season we were disappointed we never got going in the Cup competitions.'

He may be established as an influential figure at the Hawthorns and is potentially a future captain, but Evans is not shy about explaining his ambition to play in La Liga in the future.

The last ex-United defender to try his hand at Spanish football was Gary Neville. Clearly the Sky pundit's experience as coach of Valencia has not put the Ulsterman off.

'Playing abroad has always appealed to me. I've always watched a lot of Spanish football and more recently German football,' says Evans, who appreciates British footballers tend to stay on their own patch.

'I know I would think about it more than others. The style of play appeals as does a different culture. If a move ever came about, why not?

'Since joining West Brom I've been learning Spanish. I was doing an hour and a half drive to and from training so I thought rather than waste three hours of my day I would start to learn Spanish in my car. I could read a Spanish newspaper now.'

Evans, a national hero at home for his displays at the Euro 2016 finals, is in a good place as he prepares for next weekend's World Cup game with Northern Ireland aiming to stay in second place in their group.

It's a far cry from the West Brom player's last trip to Azerbaijan in 2013, when he was red carded for a crazy challenge, as Michael O'Neill's men lost 2-0.

'That was a turning point for me. I had a head loss in the game, we were losing, it wasn't going well and I lashed out at someone,' he recalled.

'I think at that time it was the season David Moyes took charge at Manchester United. There were big changes at club level and I felt my football wasn't going so well, so yeah you could probably say there was a lot of frustration building up in different areas of my football.

'There had been spells in the past where my temper would have got the better of me.

'I spoke to Michael (O'Neill) after and I got a lot of things off my chest. I didn't want to be in the position again where I had felt I let him down and my family down so I said no more of that. Now I feel as a senior player I have to perform, which is good as that can bring the best out of you.

'I like the responsibility of being on the pitch and ordering people around. The lads go nuts at me because they say I am one of the angriest men ever on the pitch. I don't think I am but I like that responsibility of trying to lead the team. We'll go to Azerbaijan believing we can win. In the past people dismissed Northern Ireland but the Euros gave us a good reputation and we want to keep it going.'