Woking FC's Dion Kelly-Evans talks about the past, present and future, January 26, 2024. Video by Woking FC.
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00:00 Well, good to do a player interview with Dion Kelly Evans and quite a few new faces around.
00:06 Dion, you're one of those and these interviews are a little bit more in-depth, just trying to find out a little bit about you.
00:11 So, firstly, welcome.
00:15 You come from Coventry initially.
00:17 Talk to us about how your career began at Coventry.
00:20 I was there since the age of six, me and my twin brother.
00:23 I played for Coventry Spinks locally as well, so I've come all the way through the age groups.
00:30 But I don't think, obviously, when you're young, you don't really take it as serious,
00:34 so you don't really know how far you'll make it.
00:37 And then I think when you get to the youth team, you feel, "Oh, we're not far away from the first team here."
00:42 But it was a great pathway, I think, because we had quite a really good age group.
00:47 So you kind of like stay together all the way through.
00:52 And obviously, when you get your scholarship and then you're in the youth team and you play and you're grafting,
00:56 and sometimes you get invited to join the first team and you get a taste of it.
01:00 You know, at the time, you're nervous and you eventually break into the first team.
01:04 There's no better feeling for me, I don't think.
01:07 Yeah. And so you got that breakthrough. It must have been great.
01:11 And it's your hometown. Is Coventry your first club that you supported?
01:15 Yeah, because, I don't know, obviously, as a kid, you play for the academy, you go and watch the first team play.
01:21 So then, obviously, you always think, "Oh, I'd love to play for the first team."
01:25 And then for it actually happening, it's quite a proud moment.
01:28 Yeah. And obviously, the club had been through difficult times and definitely went bust or whatever,
01:35 but ended up really going down the league.
01:37 So when you were there, was it a depressing time or was it a time of now the recovery begins?
01:45 I don't think it was depressing. I think, obviously, I think I was youth team when we went into administration
01:49 and we had to move away from the Rico to Northampton.
01:52 We had such a good first team at the time, I think we were top 10 points,
01:55 but I think we finished like 10th for that season and we had a really good squad.
02:00 But no, I think for us, it was just a carry on, crack on, see how well we can do.
02:04 And, you know, obviously, when we got into the first team, it was like, we're just so happy to be there.
02:11 And we just work, work and hide. You don't really listen to the outside noise or really take on what's going on from the outside.
02:17 Yeah. And you had some success there, didn't you? What was the success?
02:20 Yeah. So we got to the Chequers Trophy final.
02:24 I come on and obviously we won it.
02:26 We were big underdogs, played Oxford and Oxford had a great team at the end.
02:29 Obviously, we weren't doing well ourselves and then we ended up getting relegated.
02:31 But on a personal level, like lifting the trophy at your hometown club, like it was quite emotional.
02:37 It was very emotional. Yeah. After the game, it was quite emotional.
02:40 All my family were there and it was really like a good occasion.
02:43 And it was like the first time I've ever won anything.
02:46 So it was a very proud moment.
02:48 Yeah, I bet. I bet. So from where you released from Coventry, you ended up at Notts County.
02:54 So how? Yeah. So like.
02:57 Or Kettering, I think might have been in between.
02:59 Yeah. So my last year, we got promoted from League Two to One and me and my brother got released from there.
03:05 Your twin brother. Yeah. And then it's like, where do we go from here?
03:09 Because obviously I think as a youth team level, you think boys in the academy think I'd walk into there or I'd do that.
03:14 And it's right. Reality is you don't. Yeah.
03:18 So you are a trial a few places. And I end up at Kettering, which were in the Evo stick.
03:23 And it's like I went for a trial game. I did well.
03:27 They offered me a contract and it was like, OK, I'll sign there. Not knowing, like I was only young, 21, 22.
03:34 Not knowing where I'd want to take my career or where my career would go from there.
03:38 But I loved it. Did a year there. We ended up winning the league out of Canada.
03:43 And then I signed for Knott's the following season.
03:46 So big move, Knott's. And yeah, how about your three years at Knott's?
03:50 And you played, of course, with Doyle, with Michael Doyle and Ben Turner as well, I think.
03:56 Yeah. I love my time at Knott's.
03:58 It was, I signed at a period where a transition where the old owner was leaving and the new owners come in.
04:05 I mean, actually I ended up doing really well that season because we built a squad so late.
04:11 But yeah, I really love my time at Knott's. Obviously played with the Gaffer and Townes and to play with them big characters.
04:17 And they had great careers and they were really good for my development and for the team.
04:21 And they did great things. But yeah, obviously looking back on my three years, I wish we got promoted when I was there.
04:27 Yeah. I was really happy. Like if it weren't for last year where we were at, we'd have to be able to crack it ourselves.
04:32 But, you know, there's no better feeling than seeing them go and get promoted.
04:36 But you still got into the playoff. So presumably that brings experience of pressure and needing to keep at the top.
04:42 Yeah, we got a...
04:43 Keep performances up.
04:44 For my three years, I think we got playoff final, playoff semi-final and playoff quarterfinal.
04:50 And we just couldn't manage to do it. Whether that's like not any fault of the boys,
04:55 but it's like set pieces or little things here and there we could have tweaked to do better.
04:59 But yeah, you learn to deal with the pressure of promotion or the pressure of doing well.
05:07 I think we kind of handled it well to an extent. We just couldn't get over the line.
05:11 And I've always thought of Notts as quite a good style of football as well.
05:16 I mean, last year I much preferred watching them to Wrexham, for example, because they just played.
05:21 Was that true when you were there as well?
05:23 Yeah, I think obviously my first time in the United was the Gaffer and we played nice,
05:28 attractive football. And then I think when Ian Birchnell come in, he transformed even more.
05:33 We played three at the back and it was total football.
05:37 And I think you do get success from it if you believe in it and you work at it and everybody knows the jobs.
05:44 It's very attractive on the eye.
05:46 So I think, yeah, it was a really good way and a good environment to be in and to play football.
05:51 So, yeah, from there, Borehamwood and Banbury.
05:54 And we're just talking about that, but probably, you know, we were just talking about Mark Ricketts
05:59 and who's well known here, promotion winning captain here and a bit of a legend.
06:03 And what was he like at Borehamwood?
06:06 I think, as I said to you when I first came in, I thought, oh, who's this guy?
06:11 Like getting on a bit, like not training, but he was like the perfect captain.
06:16 Like he helped and supported me through difficult, challenging times.
06:21 He was like a motivator, not just for me, but for the boys.
06:25 Really, really, really good player as well.
06:29 Probably a little bit undervalued towards the end.
06:33 He was amazing. He spoke really highly of this club as well.
06:36 I told him that potentially I could be coming in, but really well, really good guy.
06:42 You know, it was a shame the way it ended, you know, in the defeat in the playoffs, he'd come off the bench.
06:47 But yeah, he was really good for me in my time at Borehamwood.
06:51 And now I think he's still playing at Dulwich, isn't he?
06:53 Yeah, still playing at Dulwich.
06:54 Yeah. So the move to come here, obviously change of management here.
06:59 And how did that go about? Was it a very quick thing?
07:03 Yes and no.
07:07 Obviously I was playing at Banbury, you know, playing there to get fit and always hoping I'd get the opportunity to come out full time.
07:13 That was my main goal. And obviously I appreciate Banbury obviously letting me in.
07:17 But yeah, I got a phone call from the gaffer saying, "Look, try and bring me in here."
07:23 He straight away, "Yes." Because I know what he expects of me and I know what he demands of me.
07:29 I know what I demand of him and I know what I'm going to get off him and what he wants from me.
07:32 So it just made perfect sense that, you know, this was probably the best opportunity I could get.
07:39 And reading some of the social media and stuff when you came, most clubs you've been at, maybe all of them,
07:47 you've been a bit of a fan's favourite. They seem to like you. You're quite feisty.
07:51 I think we saw some of that on Tuesday and hardworking and those sorts of things.
07:56 Does that sum you up?
07:58 I mean, yeah, probably. I think I just, I think just an honest, I give my all every game.
08:03 Like if I can get up and down, put a few tackles in, put a few crosses in, that's what I do best.
08:09 And that's what I enjoy. That's what I bring to football. And, you know, if the fans take to that, then that's great.
08:14 I just do my best and hopefully they enjoy watching me and my team play.
08:21 And you're in digs here with Alexey and Louis Walker.
08:27 Yeah.
08:29 How's that going?
08:30 Do you know what? It's actually all right. It's not mayhem or what people think all three of us living together like.
08:36 It's actually quite chilled. We all have PlayStations. Sit on that. Netflix. Call of Duty.
08:44 Cooking's not too bad. Cooking's not too bad. We don't do much of it.
08:47 From scratch or ready meals?
08:48 No, it's from scratch. Every cooking is always from scratch.
08:54 If we are cooking, if Lex is cooking, he'll do some, but there's always spare.
08:59 So when no one wants it and he's not too bad, I'll do the same.
09:02 Or to be fair, if we're being cheap, we'll just take lunch back from here.
09:06 So it just saves washing up and everything.
09:09 And I mean, Alexey, he's Mr. TikTok and he's got so many followers.
09:15 Every footballer is on social media, even when they say they're not on social media.
09:20 They're having a crafty look at social media. But you're not.
09:23 No. Talk to us about that.
09:25 I don't know. When I was younger, I think I had it when I was obviously younger.
09:31 It just didn't appeal to me much.
09:33 And then you start to realize there's more to life than sitting on your phone,
09:37 looking at social media, because I think it's a false concept of what life is.
09:41 Yeah.
09:42 And you get caught up in things.
09:43 You're never as good as they say and you're never as bad as they say.
09:45 Exactly. So yeah, you just try to stay away from it and focus on your life or your job
09:50 or whatever makes you happy, really.
09:53 I mean, don't listen to the noise on the platforms.
09:56 So what would your interest be outside of football?
09:59 Or is it football?
10:00 It's just football.
10:02 Obviously, PlayStation, Netflix, just the usual, really.
10:07 If you don't really go out much, obviously you can't with the football schedule.
10:10 But obviously sometimes when it's right to have a little drink and some nice food.
10:14 And yeah, just chill with life.
10:17 Brilliant. And obviously you're coming to the club at a challenging time,
10:22 but lots of changes and positive performance on Tuesday.
10:27 You know, Gaffer says something to build on.
10:28 But how do you find the mood in the camp?
10:31 What would you say the spirit of the camp is like?
10:34 The spirit is actually really good.
10:36 I think not having the games in recent weeks has given us a great opportunity
10:41 to work on a lot of things in training, which I think, I hope the fans seen that
10:45 on Tuesday night in terms of worth it, ethic, intensity, what's expected of us.
10:52 Even the second half we got in amongst it, we started passing the ball well,
10:54 creating a few chances.
10:57 So I think if we can just be consistent with that,
11:00 then hopefully that should aid us to get better results
11:03 and hopefully push up the table a little bit more.
11:06 Yeah, and I was just looking at it.
11:08 I mean, February, we haven't had a home game for ages, apart from Aldershot at home.
11:12 But a lot of away games, a lot of long trips.
11:15 And then February, suddenly the games come thick and fast.
11:17 So it's an important month, isn't it?
11:18 And hopefully a positive month.
11:20 No, I think it needs to. There's no secret to where we are.
11:24 And I think the squad of players we have should be doing better.
11:27 And I think we know that.
11:29 But we're working really hard to try and change things, change the mindset.
11:32 And hopefully that will come.
11:34 And you know, there's no easy game in this league.
11:37 And we just need to start picking up some points along the way.
11:41 And final question from me.
11:42 You've got a twin brother, Devin, who I think is still playing in Leamington.
11:46 And are you identical?
11:48 I mean, would we know the difference?
11:49 No, if he turned up tomorrow, I don't think no one would have a clue, really.
11:53 So who do we know is playing for us?
11:55 He's a midfielder, though.
11:57 If he's bad, it's him.
11:59 No, he's a really good player.
12:01 Didn't really get the opportunity.
12:02 After we left Columbia, he didn't really get the opportunities he deserved, really, to be fair.
12:06 And then life probably changed.
12:07 He had a baby and a family.
12:09 And, you know, still a really good player.
12:11 More attacking than me, anyway.
12:13 He just going forward great.
12:15 And I did the defending better.
12:16 So, yeah, we complement each other well when we play together.
12:19 Yeah.
12:20 Brilliant. Well, thanks for your time, Dion.
12:21 And great to have you at Woking.
12:23 And hopefully results are going to go on the up.
12:25 And but whatever.
12:27 Big welcome.
12:27 And I'm sure the fans are away games, but the fans will be looking forward to seeing you here at home as well and getting some good results.
12:35 Cheers. Thanks for your time.