A former Colchester United loanee has gone viral on social media for his remarkable resemblance to Gareth Bale. Kenny McEvoy, who made a single appearance for the U's nine years ago, has seen clips comparing him to the Welsh icon amass millions of views in the last day.
McEvoy joined Colchester on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2015. The teenage winger, nicknamed 'mini-Bale' by Spurs supporters, came on as an 89th-minute substitute in a 4-1 League One defeat at Sheffield United on 10 February. That proved to be his only action for the club before his loan ended in early April. He never made a senior appearance for Tottenham and left permanently for York City in 2016, later playing in non-league and in his native Ireland.
A social media post highlighting his time at Tottenham, shared on Tuesday, sparked the renewed interest. One widely circulated clip was captioned, “It’s still mental to me that this bloke wasn’t Gareth Bale.” The viral moment serves as a quirky footnote in Colchester's history, reminding fans of a brief chapter from a different era. McEvoy, who now works in human resources and plays amateur football, has seen the attention surge. He joked about the situation, saying Tottenham were “finally” letting him go.
While the club's past provides curious stories, the present focus is on improving results. Colchester currently sit 15th in League Two with nine points from seven games. Their recent form shows just two points from the last five matches, including a 3-1 defeat at Peterborough last Sunday. Ronnie Harvey scored the consolation goal in that loss. The team now prepares for a trip to face 18th-placed Shrewsbury Town this Saturday.
McEvoy's viral fame is a fleeting internet moment, but for Colchester, the immediate task is clear. They need points from the upcoming match against Shrewsbury to climb the table and build momentum.
This story first appeared at Colchester Gazette
