Former Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson “truly shaped” one Manchester United legend’s career after he tore him apart in one of his infamous hairdryer treatments.
Sir Alex Ferguson was known for pulling no punches towards his players if they underperformed on the pitch and would put them on blast in front of everyone.
There were very few players who escaped the fury of the 82-year-old Scot, with Rio Ferdinand recently revealing one player who was never shouted at by Ferguson.
Gary Lineker also pointed out one Manchester United legend who received preferential treatment from Ferguson and was treated differently from others.
Irrespective of those who avoided the hairdryer treatment, Ferguson’s players knew all too well what it was like watching him ruthlessly take someone apart.
If it wasn’t calling someone out for their performance, then Ferguson’s reign saw him axe players who stepped out of line, including Roy Keane and Jaap Stam.
READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson predicted two Man Utd legends to become top managers, one never entered management
Ferguson’s hairdryer treatment of United legend
Patrice Evra arrived at Old Trafford in the same transfer window as Nemanja Vidic and endured a nightmare start to life at Manchester United.
Sir Alex Ferguson handed Evra his debut against Manchester City and United’s rivals picked up a 3-1 home win over the Red Devils in the Premier League.
However, Evra’s debut for United was an ugly moment in his Red Devils career and the Frenchman was withdrawn at half-time after he struggled to make an impact.
Speaking to The Hindu, Evra was asked about matches that defined his career and United’s Champions League semi-final win against Barcelona was brought up.
While the ex-United star called the Barcelona clash “intense,” he told the Indian newspaper how Ferguson dismantled him over his display in the City match.
“That was a very intense game for sure, one that I desperately wanted to win and reach the final, after losing out in the 2004 Champions League final with Monaco against Porto,” Evra said.
“However, the game that truly shaped me was actually my debut for Manchester United; we were playing away to Manchester City! Having arrived from France, I wasn’t used to the conditions at all as it was in the middle of the afternoon and super-hot.
“I realised quickly that I had to toughen up a lot more to play football in England. I was subbed off after 45 minutes, and we all received the hairdryer treatment from Sir Alex.
“Then he told me, ‘You’re going to sit next to me and you’re going to learn English football!’
“We ended up losing that game and I went home, where even my agent was doubting my abilities to make it in the Premier League.
“That’s when my mentality kicked into action, and I told myself I have to build a lot of resilience and make it at United. The rest is history.”
Evra bounced back from Ferguson’s words
Evra’s nightmare United debut seems a distant memory after the Frenchman bounced back and created an enduring legacy at Old Trafford.
The 42-year-old former left-back became a key figure for Ferguson in defence and enjoyed incredible success at United.
Evra lifted five Premier League titles, a Champions League and three League Cups, with the United legend later playing for Juventus, Marseille and West Ham.
The former France international called it time on his career in 2018 and has sporadically appeared as a pundit, remaining a loyal United fan in the process.
“To my United community, please keep having faith and always remember that our history will never die,” he said.
“Yes, we are going through tough times right now and change needs to happen… it will. But always remember the good times.”
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