Speaking at De La Salle High School, Downpatrick, at the invitation of the town's Manchester United Supporters Club, the midfield maestro hailed the impact that Evans has made already in his fledgling career and believes Sir Alex Ferguson has a big star in waiting.

Having made an international breakthrough, making his debut in the 3-2 win over Spain at Windsor Park last September, Evans' club career has also flourished after moving to Roy Keane's Sunderland where he earned rave reviews as the Black Cats won the Championship.

"He's a fantastic player," Scholes told UTV Sport. "He joined us for a pre-season tournament in South Africa last season and done really well and fitted in no problem.

"Obviously with him playing for Sunderland I haven't had the chance to see much of him but speaking to people there they have been saying how well he has played for them."

Scholes added that the quality of young players like Evans and his United club-mate Craig Cathcart shows that Northern Ireland's future is also bright. He said: "It's great for Northern Ireland, there seems to be a lot of good young players coming through and hopefully they can qualify for the (European) championships next year."