Evra at 40 – Ferguson blast, his Man Utd "mistake" and raw chicken controversy
Patrice Evra has lived through almost everything that football has to offer.
A Champions League final, working with the greatest manager of all-time, several domestic titles and winning more caps for his country than he can keep track of.
There have certainly been some low moments and in October, it will have been 10 years since Luis Suarez was accused — and later found guilty — of racially abusing Evra during a fiery clash between Manchester United and Liverpool.
But Evra remains a cheerful part of the football sphere, a man who consistently proclaims: “I love this game!” on social media, knowing that the feeling is reciprocated.
The Frenchman won five Premier League titles during his eight years at Old Trafford and of course played a key role in Man United’s Champions League triumph on that rainy night at the Luzhniki Stadium in 2008.
The former left-back now keeps his football musings for punditry, joining the Sky Sports team on occasion and there is a never a dull moment when he is on the air.
He celebrates his 40th birthday on May 15 and to commemorate the occasion, Star Sport looks back over Evra’s wackiest and most magnificent moments in his career…
Chicken gets a raw deal
Sir Alex Ferguson explains why Roy Keane and Cristiano Ronaldo are not the spirit of Man Utd
The creme de la creme of Evra’s wild moments.
He found himself at the centre of a bizarre storm in 2018 after uploading a video of himself sucking the toes of a chicken to celebrate the start of Thanksgiving.
Quite what motivated Evra to engage in such a sensual and frankly odd ritual is anyone’s guess. But it certainly whipped up a frenzy on social media, with football fans divided over whether it was amusing or just strange.
It wasn’t long before the former Man United defender posted another video apologising for his antics, admitting it was "a little bit nasty".
"Some people found it funny, some people found it weird, some people found it disgusting – we are all different, thank god!" he said.
"Yeah. OK, I went too far when I, [sucks thumb], when I sucked the toes of the chicken.”
Rolling back the years, Evra showed his joker side during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, deciding to post a sequel of himself eating a whole roast chicken whilst donning a mask.
A rather paltry — or poultry — effort to save face, you might say.
Ferguson’s hairdryer treatment
Fergie's Man Utd XI from his final win and where they are now – including forgotten man
Evra wasn’t a renowned name when he arrived on AS Monaco back in 2006 and needed a short period to adjust to life in England.
But Sir Alex Ferguson had other plans, throwing Evra in at the deep end with a debut in the derby against Manchester City. And the left-back endured a torrid time, suffering from food poisoning, a bloody face and the finisher: Ferguson’s famous hairdryer treatment.
“The game kicked off at 12.45 pm, which was unusual for me as a Frenchman,” he recalled writing for The Players’ Tribune.
“I’m not big on traditional breakfasts, so I didn’t know what to eat to get ready. I went for pasta and beans. I got sick. I was vomiting. I went to my room wondering what to do.
“Should I tell Ferguson that I can’t play, that I’m sick? No Patrice, you can’t! You’ll look soft and scared. You have to play.
“On the bus to the stadium, I was feeling dizzy. It was sunny, it felt hot. In Manchester! Come on…”
Evra went on to explain how Ferguson hauled him off at half-time and gave him a severe reprimand.
"At half-time, we were 2–0 down. Ferguson was raging. 'And YOU, Patrice,' he shouted. 'That’s enough for you! You sit down and watch now, because you have to learn English football.”
Evra later revealed his agent believed he made the wrong choice in joining the Red Devils: “Even my agent said we made a big mistake to sign you for Manchester United.
“But I was really strong mentally to prove everyone was wrong for myself, because I'm really proud and I did it."
Panda-monium
Man Utd hero Patrice Evra slams Liverpool fans with letter from club's former chief executive
Having been a victim of racist abuse in his illustrious career, Evra wanted to make a statement to promote inclusiveness and combat anti-racism in one.
What followed was something quite unique: Evra, now at Juventus, dressed in a giant panda costume, dancing to Desiigner’s smash hit ‘Panda’ in the background.
And once he had finished cutting shapes on the floor, he removed the panda head to deliver an emphatic message of inspiration.
“Be like a panda,” he says in the video. “I am black, I am white, I am Asian and I am chubby.
“I am full of love. I love this game, say no to racism.”
Forget those Uefa adverts, Patrice the Panda is the anti-racism hero we all need.
The 'Cantona'
Patrice Evra mocks Man Utd pal Cristiano Ronaldo's body – telling star “don’t be jealous”
A moment Evra would probably like to put to the back of his mind, which effectively marked the beginning of the end of his career, came when he was at Marseille back in November 2017.
Evra had returned to his native France and had already been targeted by a section of the clubs fans. But when he was warming up with his team-mates before a Europa League clash with Vitoria Guimaraes, the red mist descended on a fateful night in Portugal.
Some fans had been dishing out some verbal abuse and something in Evra snapped, as he launched into a karate-kick on one of the supporters in the style of United legend, Eric Cantona.
Naturally, he found himself in serious trouble with Marseille, who later terminated his contract, and Uefa opted to ban him from football until June 2018. He would return to the Premier League for another season with West Ham in 2018-19, before deciding to hang up his boots and focus on coaching.
A moment of madness in an otherwise distinguished journey.
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