Manchester United legend Patrice Evra revealed that he once asked his son why he ‘hated’ the Premier League club and how it changed his perspective on things.
Patrice Evra made 379 appearances for United during his eight-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford, following his 2006 move from Monaco for a reported £5.5m fee.
The 42-year-old Manchester United legend left the Premier League club in 2014 after lifting five league titles, a Champions League trophy and three League Cups.
Evra, who arrived at United in the same window as club legend Nemanja Vidic, played for Juventus, Marseille and West Ham before calling it time on his career.
The Frenchman recently revealed a “key trait” Sir Alex Ferguson saw in him and how the former United boss tipped two of his former players to become managers.
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Evra’s prolific playing career came to an end in 2018 and he has remained a loyal Red Devils fan, with the United legend often showing his support for Erik ten Hag.
The ex-Manchester United full-back has sporadically appeared on TV as a pundit and has not been afraid to express his thoughts on the club’s struggles post-Ferguson.
Patrice Evra never ended up becoming a manager, despite gaining his coaching licence and having the opportunity to be part of the staff at United after his career.
The former France international recalled “one incident” during his career where his then-three-year-old son, Lenny, was in tears and told him that he hated United.
Evra thought his son might have supported another team, only for him to realise that his son didn’t like the club because it kept “taking his dad away from him.”
“After my retirement, I finished my coaching license and could have joined the staff at Manchester United,” he told The Hindu.
“But I remembered one incident from my playing days; my son Lenny, who was three years old, was crying and remarked that he hates United.
“I was shocked! Did my own son support a rival club? I asked him why, and then he told me it was because United keeps taking his dad away from him.
“I realised then to succeed at United — be it in a player or in [a] coaching capacity — you have to sacrifice everything else.
“So, I wanted to explore different sides to my vision and personality before that.”
United legend Evra on finding his purpose
Evra opened up about his aspirations of becoming a footballer and how he was living “in a bubble” when he finally achieved his dream of playing in the sport as a professional.
“As a footballer, I lived in a bubble and that’s all I knew,” he told the Indian newspaper.
“Now after my retirement and exploring the world, I understand why I’m here and my purpose in life.
“When I was a kid, my teacher laughed at me when I told her I wanted to become a world-class footballer.
“That was my dream back then and I achieved it.”
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