Manchester United legend, Patrice Evra has revealed that he had a very traumatic childhood as he was a victim of a number of terrible experiences, including been sexually abused.
Born in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, Evra moved to Paris as a small child. He started his youth football career with Les Ulis, a football academy in the suburbs of Paris.
“Sometimes, at midnight, when they would throw away the cold ‘Big Macs’, we would pick them up out the garbage. After my father walked out on us, everything was chaotic,” he said during an interview with FREEZE THE Fear on BBC One.
“Football saved me. When I was 17 years old, I travelled to Italy [he had spells at Marsala and Monza before signing for Nice in 2002]. I remember when I went into my room, there was a tracksuit.
“I have sold drugs, I have begged and I have worked in a television store. One is not true, He then admitted: “I didn’t sell TVs. The other two are true. I was like 13.”
The 40-year-old defender also opened up on how he was sexually abused and how he felt after being the subject of alleged sexual abuse.
“Being sexually abused at the age of 13 had a massive impact on my life,” Evra said. “You just feel shame about yourself. When you don’t trust the authority, because it was my head teacher, you just don’t trust anybody else.” He said.
Évra played almost 400 games for the Red Devils’, winning five Premier League trophies and the Champions League in 2008.