If functions acts as pointers then why the function here needs '*' ? Please answer!!!!

Question

#include <stdio.h>

int * get_evens();

int main() {
int *a;
int k;

a = get_evens(); /* get first 5 even numbers */
for (k = 0; k < 5; k++)
printf("%d\n", a[k]);

return 0;
}

int * get_evens () {
static int nums[5];
int k;
int even = 0;

for (k = 0; k < 5; k++) {
nums[k] = even += 2;
}

return (nums);
}

Answer 1

That means it returning integer pointer....
Edit:
Actually, function pointer can be assigned like normal pointers. And in your code, you are assigning function get_evens to pointer a in main as :
int (*a) = get_evens(); and using like a[k]..