Evans hopes he's finally found the National League escape tunnel

The big defender, signed this summer, has come agonisingly close to promotion to the Football League in three of the last four seasons.

Three unsuccessful National League play-off bids have left the 26-year-old desperate to finally break out of the division.

“It’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I dropped out about seven years ago,” he said.

“I was on loan at Newport when they went up, then I dropped down into the Conference South and won that and every year since, apart from one, I’ve been in the play-offs.

“They’re the worst thing to be honest with you.

“The easiest thing is to just go straight up.

“I’m desperate to do it.”

That desperation was the major driving force behind Evans’ decision to join Martin Allen’s Spireites.

“Everyone has ambitions of playing in the Football League, it’s what every player wants and I’m no different,” he said.

“I want to play at the highest level.

“It’s the reason I chose Chesterfield because the ambitions of the manager are the same as mine.

“He wants to win, he wants promotion and I want to win things.

“I know he’s a very experienced manager and knows the league well so it was one I jumped at.”

Evans comes to Chesterfield in what he feels are his prime years, having grown as a player under his previous boss and settled in his preferred position.

“I feel like in the last two seasons at Aldershot, Gary Waddock definitely brought the best out of me, I just got stronger and stronger,” said the 6ft 2ins defender.

“The previous few years were a bit stop-start, playing wise.

“I was in various positions and you don’t really get the flow or the feel of it.

“I’ve stamped my authority down as a centre-half, I feel like I’ve played really well.

“I’ve really enjoyed my football, that’s the main thing.

“That’s a big bonus for me, it brings out the best in you when you’re enjoying it.

“I’m definitely coming into my prime years and hopefully they’ll last a few more years yet.”

Allen has told Town fans that, in Evans, they’ve signed a centre-half who can play.

The man himself reveals that his life in football did not start in central defence, which he feels gives him an added dimension.

“I’m obviously tall and quite physical but I like to think I can play a little bit more of a footballing role,” he said.

“I was a central midfielder at first, I started off my career there as a young lad.

“I feel like I’ve got more of the technical side than a typical centre-half and you need to get a lot more involved with the football in the modern day.

“I do like to get on it and play at times.”