The npower League Two outfit welcome the top-flight side to their Broadfield Stadium home on Sunday for an FA Cup fifth-round tie. Crawley are hopeful of upsetting the apple cart against Stoke and Evans is looking forward to pitting his wits against opposite number Pulis.
"I would call him a friend," the Glaswegian said. "Friends are there when you need them, not when you are having good times."
Evans added: "Tony was there for me and was recently when we were struggling for somewhere to train in the north. I spoke to Tony and he opened up the training ground and in we went.
"Tony has helped me in the past. He has come in before and taken coaching sessions when I was at Boston and was been in-between jobs.
"He has been there when I have needed him there but we have not spoken since the draw was made as you tend not to. We'll share a glass of wine on Sunday win, lose or draw."
This is the second successive season Crawley have made the fifth round of the competition, having bowed out at Old Trafford after a tough battle with Manchester United this time last year. Red Devils boss Evans knows Stoke will provide a different set of challenges on Sunday, but thinks there is a realistic chance of causing an upset.
"I think everybody in football will recognise the size of the task, but the people that set expectations are not owners, not supporters and not managers," he said.
"The people that set expectations are players and our players over the past 18 months have continued to set higher expectations by their performances and their results. I can't say it any louder or clearer that we respect Stoke City, but we certainly don't fear them.
"We know we could be on the reverse of a 3-0, 4-0 or 5-0 scoreline because we are playing a Premier League side. But they could be on the end of a 1-0 defeat, couldn't they?"
Source: PA
Source: PA