Preston North End striker has warning for Manchester City's Liam Delap, Tottenham Hotspur's Troy Parrot and Everton's Tom Cannon

They are on loan at Deepdale from Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City respectively but their Welsh teammates knows what it’s like to come through the academy at an established Premier League club, and what it can do to players’ mentalities.

Evans made his breakthrough at Man City, like Delap has, but admits he got a little complacent shortly after signing his pro deal at the Etihad. With incomparable riches currently flooding the English top flight, it is easy for clubs to leave young talent behind as they search for the next big thing or immediate success.

PNE’s no.9 feels a responsibility towards North End’s three striking loanees, in helping them develop as players but also learning from what he went through as a young player.

He said: “I think that's about being professional every day. You can't take your foot off the gas, I probably fell victim to that when I was at City, thinking you've made it when you get the contract.

"The reality of it is that if you take your foot off the gas when you're at a big club like that they can go and spend £20m on a striker. All three strikers are extremely talented and they've all got big careers ahead of them.

"Coming out so young, all three of them, to a Championship club like this, is going to pay dividends in the future because the experience they're getting from playing Championship football rather than sitting in a U23 team at a Premier League club is a massive advantage for them.”

Evans has most often started up front alongside Cannon, who has two goals in his last three games. The goals didn’t flow straight away for the 20-year-old though, who has been called up to the Republic of Ireland U21s for the first time this week, as he had to endure his longest goal drought since he was a child.

The pacy poacher got a bit of advice from Evans that has helped get him more chances at goal as 34-year-old looks to mentor the younger players.

Evans said: “I spoke to TC and said: 'if you play closer, you'll get more chances.' Obviously if your strikers are playing apart they're not going to be able to link. I think it was apparent when a throw in came in and he's close, I've put him in behind and he's hit the crossbar against Rotherham.

“Because he is so fast and powerful it only takes one ball round the corner and him playing on the shoulder and he's away. Tom is a great player and he's got a massive future ahead of him.”