Patrice Evra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Patrice Evra

Evra in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth	(1981-05-15) 15 May 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Dakar, Senegal
Height	1.74 m
Playing position	Left-back
Youth career
1992–1993	CO Les Ulis
1993–1997	CSF Brétigny
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–1999	Marsala	24	(3)
1999–2000	Monza	3	(0)
2000–2002	Nice	40	(1)
2002–2006	Monaco	120	(2)
2006–2014	Manchester United	273	(7)
2014–2017	Juventus	53	(3)
2017	Marseille	15	(1)
2018	West Ham United	5	(0)
Total		533	(17)
National team
2002–2003	France U21	11	(0)
2004–2016	France	81	(0)
Honours Men's football Representing  France UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2016 France
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Patrice Latyr Evra (born 15 May 1981) is a French former professional footballer. He mostly played as a left-back, which is a defensive position. Evra was the captain for both Manchester United and the France national team. He was recognized as one of the best full-backs of his time.

Evra was born in Senegal and moved to Europe when he was very young. He started his senior football career in Italy with Marsala. Later, he joined Monza before moving to France to play for Nice. At Nice, he changed his playing position to a full-back. In 2002, he joined Monaco and helped them reach the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final.

His great performances led him to join English club Manchester United in January 2006. He played there for eight years and won 14 trophies, including five Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League. In 2014, he moved to Italian team Juventus, where he won two Serie A titles and played in another Champions League final. Evra later played for Marseille and West Ham United before retiring in July 2019. He then started training to become a coach.

Evra played in five big international tournaments for France. He was the captain of the national team for the 2010 World Cup. He returned to the squad and had a good 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where France reached the quarter-finals.

Playing for Clubs

Early Football Days

Patrice Evra started his football journey playing for his local club, CO Les Ulis. He had played football on the streets for many years before joining the club. His coach described him as a "good kid." Evra first played as a striker and tried out for professional clubs like Rennes and Lens. However, he was not chosen because of his size.

In 1993, he joined an amateur club called CSF Brétigny. He also tried out for other big clubs, including Toulouse and Paris Saint-Germain. He was signed by Paris Saint-Germain and changed his position to a winger. Evra trained there for a few months but was later released.

After leaving Paris Saint-Germain, Evra was invited to play in a five-a-side football tournament. An Italian scout saw him play and offered him a chance to try out for Torino. Evra trained with Torino for ten days. Then, he was offered a spot on their youth team. However, he chose to sign his first professional contract at age 17 with Serie C1 club Marsala. He played one season there, appearing in 27 matches and scoring six goals.

After Marsala, he moved to Serie B to join Monza. He only played in three matches for Monza and left after one season because he wasn't playing enough.

Playing for Nice

Evra then returned to France and joined Nice in Ligue 2, which is the second division of French football. In his first season, he mostly played for the reserve team as a midfielder. He played in 18 matches and scored one goal.

Later in the season, his coach, Sandro Salvioni, called him up to the main team. Evra made his debut on 7 October 2000. He started as a left winger. He played in a few more matches that season, sometimes as a substitute and sometimes starting.

In the 2001–02 season, Evra became a permanent member of the first team. In the first league match, the team's regular left-back got injured. Evra stepped in to play that position for the rest of the game. Because of injuries to other players, Evra continued to play as a left-back. He played regularly and even got to play in his preferred left wing role sometimes.

Nice was trying to get promoted to the top league. Evra scored his first and only goal for Nice in his last match with the club. Nice won that game, which helped them get promoted to Ligue 1 for the first time since 1997. For his good play, Evra was named to the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 2 Team of the Year as a left-back.

Playing for Monaco

Didier Deschamps coached Evra during his four-year stint with Monaco.

After his time at Nice, Evra joined Monaco, a rival club. He wanted to play as a left winger again. But manager Didier Deschamps told him he would only play as a left-back. Evra later said that Deschamps helped him become a better defender.

Evra became part of Monaco's defense. He made his debut for Monaco in the first match of the 2002–03 season. On 28 September, Evra scored his first goal for the club. Monaco finished the season in second place, which meant they would play in the UEFA Champions League. Monaco also won the Coupe de la Ligue, which was Evra's first major trophy.

For the 2003–04 league season, Deschamps made Evra a vice-captain. Evra played in 33 matches and helped with four goals. Monaco started strong but finished second again. Evra made his UEFA Champions League debut on 17 September 2003. He played in all six group stage matches.

In March 2004, Evra got an ankle injury during a Champions League match against Real Madrid. He missed some games but returned for the second leg against Madrid. Monaco won and moved on to the semi-finals. They then beat Chelsea to reach the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final. In the final, Monaco lost 3–0 to Porto. Evra played the whole game. After the season, Evra won the UNFP Young Player of the Year award. He was also named to the Ligue 1 Team of the Year.

Evra stayed at Monaco despite interest from other big clubs. In September 2004, he signed a new contract until 2008. In the 2004–05 season, Evra played in 52 matches, scoring one goal and helping with seven assists. Monaco reached the semi-finals in two domestic cup competitions. In April 2005, Evra said he was interested in leaving the club. However, his coach said he would not be sold. Evra made his final appearance for Monaco on 21 December 2005.

Playing for Manchester United

Joining the Red Devils

Evra comes off the pitch after a match versus Arsenal

In December 2005, it was reported that Manchester United wanted to sign Evra. Evra said he preferred to join Manchester United over other clubs. On 6 January 2006, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed a deal was reached. Four days later, Evra officially joined Manchester United for about £5.5 million. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.

Evra found it a bit hard to get used to English football at first. He made his debut on 14 January in a 3–1 loss to Manchester City. He was taken off at half-time. Ferguson said it was a "gamble" to play him. But Evra started the next game against Liverpool, which United won 1–0, and his teammate Rio Ferdinand praised his performance. Evra played as a substitute in United's 4–0 win over Wigan Athletic in the 2006 League Cup final. He finished his first season with 14 appearances.

In Evra's first full season, he became a regular starter. On 18 November, he helped set up the winning goal for Wayne Rooney. Eight days later, Evra scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win over Everton. He also got an assist in that game. By December, Evra was a regular in the starting team. On 10 April 2007, Evra scored a goal in a big 7–1 win over Roma in the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League. This was his first Champions League goal. Manchester United won the Premier League that season. Evra was named to the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Team of the Year.

Evra started the 2007–08 season as the main left-back. He played in the first 12 matches. He missed one game due to a calf injury. He returned and helped Cristiano Ronaldo score a goal against Arsenal. He played in 48 matches that season but did not score any goals. Manchester United won their second straight Premier League title. They also won the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final by beating Chelsea on penalties. Evra played all 120 minutes in the final. After the season, he signed a new four-year contract with Manchester United.

Continued Success

Evra (left) passing the ball to Gabriel Obertan in a match against Everton in the 2009–10 season

Before the 2008–09 season, Evra faced some issues with the FA. He received a four-match ban and a fine for an incident that happened during the previous season. He started the new season well, as Manchester United won the 2008 FA Community Shield. Evra played in most of Manchester United's first 22 matches.

Evra (right) defending against Samuel Eto'o in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final

Despite his ban, Evra played for Manchester United in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. United won the tournament by beating LDU Quito in the final. Evra returned to the team for a match against Chelsea in January 2009, where he helped set up a goal. He later got a foot injury and missed a month of play. Evra returned in February and played in almost every remaining match. Manchester United won their third straight Premier League title and the League Cup. They also reached the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final but lost 2–0 to Barcelona. Evra was again included in the PFA Team of the Year.

In the 2009–10 season, Evra played in all 38 league matches for the first time in his career. He sometimes captained the team when other captains were injured. In December 2009, Evra was named to the FIFPro World XI. In January 2010, he was named to the UEFA Team of the Year. On 28 February 2010, Evra captained Manchester United to a 2–1 win against Aston Villa in the 2010 League Cup final. This was his first trophy as a captain. Manchester United did not win the league title that season and lost in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Evra playing in the 2011 MLS All-Star Game

At the start of the 2010–11 season, Evra was dealing with questions about the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His contract with Manchester United was also ending soon. On 20 November, Evra scored his second Premier League goal in a 2–0 win against Wigan Athletic. On 21 February 2011, Evra signed a new contract with Manchester United until at least the end of the 2013–14 season.

In the 2011–12 season, Evra helped United win the 2011 Community Shield against Manchester City. United came back from 2–0 down to win 3–2.

During the 2012–13 season, Evra became known for scoring goals from corners, even though he is not very tall. He scored three headed goals in 13 games. He continued this in the 2013–14 season, scoring another header. He also scored two goals from open play. On 23 May 2014, Evra signed a new one-year contract extension with Manchester United.

Playing for Juventus

Evra battles Barcelona forward Lionel Messi for the ball during the Champions League final in June 2015.

On 21 July 2014, Evra joined Italian Serie A club Juventus on a two-year contract. The transfer fee was about £1.2 million. On 14 December 2014, he scored his first goal for Juventus. On 6 June 2015, Evra started for Juventus in the 2015 UEFA Champions League final. Juventus lost 3–1 to Barcelona. This was Evra's fifth Champions League final appearance. He became the first player to lose four Champions League finals and the first to lose a final with three different clubs.

Evra played his 100th UEFA Champions League match on 25 November 2015. He was the second French player to do so after Thierry Henry. Evra scored a goal in the last match of the 2015–16 Serie A season on 14 May 2016. Juventus won the league title for the fifth time in a row. On 6 June 2016, Evra signed a one-year contract extension with Juventus.

Playing for Marseille

On 25 January 2017, Evra joined Marseille on a free transfer. He signed an 18-month contract. On 7 May 2017, he scored his only goal for Marseille in a 2–1 win against his former club Nice.

Evra with Marseille in September 2017

In November 2017, Evra was involved in an incident before a Europa League match. He was banned from playing in UEFA competitions until June 2018. Marseille then ended Evra's contract.

Playing for West Ham United

On 7 February 2018, West Ham United signed Evra. He signed a contract until the end of June 2018. He made his debut on 24 February. Evra left West Ham United when his contract ended, having played five matches for the club. He officially retired from professional football in July 2019.

Playing for Brentham

To get fit for Soccer Aid 2020, Evra played one friendly match for Middlesex County League Premier Division club Brentham on 29 August 2020.

International Career

Under-21 Team

Evra played for the French under-21 team. He earned his first call-up on 3 October 2002. He made his under-21 debut in a 1–0 win against Slovenia. Evra played regularly for the team from 2002 to 2004. France tried to qualify for the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and the 2004 Summer Olympics football tournament, but they did not succeed. This marked the end of Evra's youth international career.

Senior National Team

Early Years with France

Evra was first called up to the senior national team in May 2004. He was part of the preliminary squad for UEFA Euro 2004, but he was not chosen for the final team. After the European Championship, Evra was called up again for a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 August 2004. He said he was "very proud" to be called up. Evra made his senior international debut in that match, which ended in a 1–1 draw.

Due to an injury to the regular starter, Evra played as the starting left-back in France's first two 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He later missed a friendly match due to injury. Evra did not get called up for almost two years after that and missed the 2006 World Cup. He later said that missing the World Cup made him more determined.

Euro 2008

Evra returned to the team in November 2006 for a friendly match against Greece. He came on as a substitute and France won 1–0. Evra started playing regularly for France in 2007. On 28 May 2008, he was chosen for the squad to play in UEFA Euro 2008. He was initially a backup, but after France's first game, many people wanted him to start. He started in the next match against the Netherlands, which France lost 4–1. In the final group match against Italy, Evra started again, but France lost 2–0 and was eliminated.

2010 World Cup and After

After Euro 2008, Evra became the starting left-back for France. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Evra played in ten of the team's 12 matches. On 26 May 2010, Evra captained the national team for the first time in a friendly match. France won 2–1. He was then named the captain for the 2010 World Cup. Evra wore the captain's armband in the team's first two matches.

During the 2010 World Cup, there was a disagreement within the team. Evra, as captain, led a player protest where the players refused to train. This action was criticized by the French Football Federation and government officials. As a result, Evra was no longer captain and was benched for the team's final group match. France lost and was eliminated from the competition. After the World Cup, Evra received a five-match international ban for his role in the incident.

Return to the National Team

Evra in action for France in their Euro 2012 group stage match against England on 11 June

Despite the criticism, Evra wanted to continue playing for the national team. On 17 March 2011, he was called up by the new manager, Laurent Blanc, for the first time since the 2010 World Cup. Evra returned to the team on 25 March in a Euro 2012 qualifying match against Luxembourg. He played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win. He played regularly in qualifying for Euro 2012. On 29 May 2012, he was named to the squad for the tournament. France was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Spain.

2014 World Cup and Euro 2016

Evra played four of France's five matches at the 2014 World Cup. France was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Germany, who went on to win the tournament.

In May 2016, Evra was named in Didier Deschamps's squad for Euro 2016, which was held in France. He started in France's first match against Romania. In the semi-final against Germany, Evra played very well, helping France win 2–0 and reach the final. He was praised for his leadership and experience. In the final, France lost 1–0 to Portugal after extra time.

How He Played

Patrice Evra was considered one of the best players in his position. He was a fast, energetic, and strong left-back. Even though he wasn't very tall, he was good in the air. He could also play as a centre-back sometimes. Evra was a skilled player with good vision. He was comfortable with the ball and good at moving into attacking positions as a wing-back. He could deliver good crosses to his teammates. Earlier in his career, he played as a winger. He was also known for his leadership and determination on the field. These qualities made him effective in both attacking and defending.

Family and Personal Life

Family Background

Evra was born in Dakar, the capital city of Senegal. His father was from Senegal, and his mother was from Cape Verde. When Evra was one year old, his family moved to Brussels, Belgium, because his father was a diplomat. When Evra was three, his family moved to France and settled in Les Ulis, a town near Paris. He grew up with Senegalese culture and values. At age 10, he visited Senegal for a short time.

Evra was raised as a Catholic. He was a good student in school.

He is married to Sandra, and they have a son named Lenny and a daughter named Maona. As of 2020, Evra and his wife are separated, and he is engaged to Danish model Margaux Alexandra.

Other Interests

Evra can speak five languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. He is allergic to eggs, which he found out when he was playing for Juventus. He has helped raise money for children with cancer by participating in the Shoot for Love Challenge.

Evra was a football expert for ITV during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In September 2019, he returned to Manchester United to train as a coach with the club's Academy.

Evra announced his autobiography, I Love This Game, in 2021. He was also a participant on the BBC show Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof in 2022.

In May 2023, Evra was part of a group that bought Portuguese club C.F. Estrela da Amadora. The team was promoted to the Primeira Liga shortly after.

Career Statistics

Club

Sources:

International

Source:

Appearances and goals by national team and year

Honours

Monaco

• Coupe de la Ligue: 2002–03
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2003–04

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
• Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
• FA Community Shield: 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013
• UEFA Champions League: 2007–08; runner-up: 2008–09, 2010–11
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Juventus

• Serie A: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Coppa Italia: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2015
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2014–15

Individual

• UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2003–04
• UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2003–04
• PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10
• FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2009
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2009

Images for kids

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  Evra in 2022

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  Didier Deschamps coached Evra during his four-year stint with Monaco.

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  Evra comes off the pitch after a match versus Arsenal

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  Evra (left) passing the ball to Gabriel Obertan in a match against Everton in the 2009–10 season

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  Evra (right) defending against Samuel Eto'o in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final

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  Evra playing in the 2011 MLS All-Star Game

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  Evra battles Barcelona forward Lionel Messi for the ball during the Champions League final in June 2015.

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  Evra with Marseille in September 2017

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  Evra in action for France in their Euro 2012 group stage match against England on 11 June