Patrice Evra has explained how Sir Alex Ferguson was once forced to take action after the former Manchester United hero “nearly killed” Gary Neville with a vengeful tackle in training
Patrice Evra has sensationally revealed how he “nearly killed” Gary Neville in Manchester United training.
The former France international, 41, enjoyed a glittering career at Old Trafford, claiming five Premier League titles, three League Cups and the Champions League over an eight-year spell. A fierce winner, Evra formed part of a formidable United backline alongside Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Gary Neville, the foundation for the club’s scintillating latter period under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Blessed with a plethora of dominating world-class defenders, it was perhaps inevitable that there would be disagreements and scuffles on the Carrington training pitches and Evra recalls how a vengeful tackle “almost killed” his opposite full-back.
“I nearly killed Gary Neville, I’ll be honest with you,” Evra divulged on his self-named YouTube channel. “Sir Alex Ferguson stopped the training about that.”
He continued: “So I remember, I get the ball. Then Gary Neville comes and he tackled me. He got the ball but he got a little bit of me so I was on the floor. And I looked at him and he was standing there.
“And I said ‘Gary, you won’t say sorry?’ He looked at me and said ‘f*** off’. When he said that, that’s what brought me back to the streets, the hood. I was like ‘ahhhh fine’. I just stood up. I cleaned my shin. I said ‘game on’.
“The ball arrived to his chest. I go and run and I put my two legs into his chest. He jumped also, so I put my two legs into his chest. He did a backflip.”
Leaving Manchester United in the summer of 2014, Evra joined Italian giants Juventus on a two-year contract. He won back-to-back titles in Serie A but the Old Lady were beaten by Barcelona’s treble winners in the European climax, in which the Frenchman became the first player to lose four Champions League finals.
He later enjoyed stints at Marseille and West Ham before a one-off appearance for Middlesex County League Premier Division club Brentham in a pre-season friendly to build fitness ahead of Soccer Aid.
SOURCE: dailystar.co.uk
