Former France captain, Patrice Evra has revealed he would have wished to play for Senegal rather than France.

The Manchester United legend disclosed his thoughts in a visit to Ghana where he met President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Evra earned 84 caps for the France national team, playing five major tournaments and captaining the side on multiple occasions.

He told Sports Brief: “If I could go back, I would choose to represent my home country, Senegal, instead of France.

“I was born in Dakar but grew up in France. 

“One of the painful lessons I learnt with this choice is when you play good and win, you are celebrated as a French; when the team lose, you are singled out as Senegalese.” 

Many members of the French national team have African origins, due to post-World War Two labour policies which saw an influx of workers from French colonies to ease a labour crisis.

Patrice Evra was born in Dakar Senegal to a diplomat father of Guinean descent, mother of Cape Verde roots and also have 23 siblings.

“We need to let this young generation know that they can still succeed playing for their original countries,” the 41-year-old former France skipper added.

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