Man Utd hero Patrice Evra says he was sexually abused aged just 13

Manchester United legend Patrice Evra has bravely admitted to being sexually abused by a teacher aged just 13.

Evra, now 40, was one of the finest left-backs of his generation and won five Premier League titles with United from 2006 to 2014.

But despite being known for his jokey persona off the pitch, the former France captain’s new autobiography recalled some hard-hitting experiences, such as being molested.

Speaking to The Times, Evra explained in detail that the man took advantage of him when he moved into his care in order to cut down on the hours spent commuting to and from school.

He said: “I don’t want people to feel pity. It’s a difficult situation. A mother does not expect to hear this from their own child. She felt something [was wrong] and had asked me why I did not want to sleep in the teacher’s house.

“Only now when I am 40 years old do I tell her. It was a big shock for her. A lot of anger. She said she was sorry. She said: ‘You must not put it in your book, it’s private Patrice,’ but that’s when I say, mum, it’s not about me, it’s about other kids then she says OK, she understands.

“I know the book will mean people will change their view of me, but I am more than happy to talk with people. I am a better version of myself.

“My friends will say, ‘oh the world will react, think of the pressure,’ but the biggest pressure is to say it to my mum. Even thinking about it now, it’s hard.

“The first thing my mum says is, ‘if you don’t sue him, I’ll sue him. If he’s still alive, I’m going to kill him.’ There is a lot of rage. I know my mum and people from my family will do research and see if they can sue. But I buried this thing so deep I didn’t think about [prosecution].”

Don't miss a thing with our football updates!

Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?

Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!

From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox – don't miss a thing.

How do you sign up?

It only takes a matter of seconds.

Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.

And that's it, job done. You'll receive an email with all of the top news stories every single morning.

You can find out more information on our email newsletter on this link here.

The defender-turned-pundit went on to explain that he feels an obligation to share and therefore encourage other children to speak out about their experiences.

Evra believes that being honest in his book was the best way to do that.

He said: “When I first did the book, I didn’t tell the whole story because I was still ashamed and scared about what people will think and now I want to say it because I don’t want kids to be in my situation and they are ashamed of themselves, thinking they are not brave, because it’s not about being brave, it’s about being mentally ready to talk about it.

“So I just want to make sure kids out there have the courage and do not blame themselves, because I always blamed myself. I’m not shy to say I felt like a coward for many years because I never speak up. It was something heavy in my chest.

“But I don’t do it for me, I do it for other children.”

Pick up your FREE Panini Official Premier League Trading cards this weekend – Find out how here

Source: Read Full Article