Unsung Heroes: Patrice Evra

Some of the ‘Unsung Heroes’ in this series are already somewhat ‘sung’ but they are players who make crucial contributions to their teams without necessarily taking all the headlines.

#1: Patrice Evra, Manchester United
Apps: 86; Goals: 2

Not exactly a low profile player himself, but amidst the embarrassment of riches that is the Manchester United squad, Patrice Evra is comparatively low down in the superstar stakes.

While Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez et al usually monopolise the newspaper column inches, Evra has to settle for being one of the best and most consistent performers in the United team.

Most football fans, particularly those of United persuasion, will remember his notorious debut against rivals Manchester City in 2006. Evra had just arrived at Old Trafford and due to an injury to fans’ favourite Gabriel Heinze, Evra was thrown in at the deep end and asked to start the game. And what a shocker he had!

By half-time it seemed that Evra was simply too small to play in the Premier League.

He was beaten in the air time and time again and City began to target him as the weak link in United’s defence. Fearing the worst, the United manager took Evra off at half-time and the expectation was that, ultimately, even a man of Ferguson’s pride would have to admit that this signing had been a mistake.

The situation wasn’t helped by Evra’s subsequent complaints in the press that the weather in England was not at all to his taste. The prospects of him staying at Old Trafford for any length of time seemed remote at best.

But Evra, as we soon learned, was not just another sulky middle-class Frenchman who thought he was ‘ze best’ and England ‘ze pits’. Indeed, this was a guy accustomed to adversity.

After growing up in a Senegalese family big enough to turn heads at the Guinness Book of Records HQ, Evra learned to take nothing for granted. He worked hard, bulked up and started to show what he could do. He had pace to burn, a great touch and, due to his early years as a winger, was not afraid to get forward.

A couple of months into last season (his second at United) Evra’s performances became so eye-catching that positional rival Heinze could no longer guarantee a place in the starting eleven. Whilst many fans thought Heinze had more substance than Evra as a defender, a growing throng of fans wanted Evra in the team.

After a couple serious injuries, Heinze became scruffy and increasingly prone to error but, by contrast, Evra’s game was maturing by the week. Fast forward another year and Evra has now become the unquestionable number one at Old Trafford, having won a battle with Heinze which resulted in the Argentinian leaving the club. Ferguson seemed annoyed about the well-documented manner of his departure but in truth, he has always kept the players that he really wants. And who in their right mind would take Heinze over Evra now?

In fact, you would be hard pushed to find a better left-back in Europe this season. Evra is a simply wonderful player who quietly keeps United ticking. His pace and desire to get forward are balanced with an aggressive defensive instinct and agility that keeps him out of trouble, even when he is caught in an advanced position. He adds a fluidity and attacking dimension to the team, best illustrated when he is absent. Without him, United generally look a slower unit.

In two years, Evra has won over all his critics and become an essential part of the United machine. It is a testament to his commitment that no one ever mentions his height anymore. Although he may not have as many songs in his honour as some of the other players at Old Trafford, you can guarantee that when fit, he is one of the very first names on the team sheet.

“the star is not the player - it is the team” - Patrice Evra, 2007