Sport

Patrice Evra issues passionate plea to Manchester United as he must miss the Europa League final

'Bleed for this shirt.'

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 20th May 2025

Ex-Manchester United star Patrice Evra has issued a passionate appeal to his old club ahead of the Europa League final, as he reluctantly prepares to miss the game.

Evra, 44, has remained an avid Man United fan even since he left the club back in 2014 and doesn’t miss a game if he can, often lending his punditry services to the likes of Sky Sports of TNT Sports.

However, despite the biggest game of their season coming up this Wednesday, 20 May, the Frenchman has been forced to skip the match due to a recent bereavement.

Nevertheless, Evra has taken time to issue a rallying cry to Ruben Amorim and his Red Devils, urging them to “be United” and “fight” just like his loved one.

As explained in the short video, the retired left-back’s sister recently passed away at just 56 after a long battle with cancer.

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Visibly emotional but determined in the clip, Evra starts by sharing his “positive energy” before trying to inject some defiance.

Noting that his sibling fought for her life for more than two decades, he goes on to add, “That’s what I want from you [United players and fans] tomorrow: just fight — bleed for this shirt, for the fans, the staff, for the people of Manchester.”

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Stating that there is “no excuse” for failure and that winning their first European trophy in seven years is their “duty”, he called on the team to channel the commitment and dedication of those travelling from all over the world to see them take on Spurs in Bilbao.

As for the former French international himself, he will be making his return to sport only in an entirely different arena, with a combat sports debut coming very soon.

Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra is set to make his MMA debut very soon
Wait until you see who he called out… To be fair, I think we’d prefer to watch the Evra fight even more than the Europa League final.

While the comments underneath the post are obviously filled with lots of condolences for his loss, lots of supporters are also taking further faith and motivation from his competitive spirit.

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Match day isn’t even here yet, but we’ve already seen some incredible examples of the frankly ridiculous lengths fans are going to in order to travel to the final, and Amorim himself has been applauded for a very classy and generous gesture.

It’s a big game for the club and so many across Greater Manchester; you only have to glance at social media to sense the palpable tension. For instance, if you’re a Red, you don’t want to scroll past the video down below.

Go on then – do you think United are going to do it?

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Featured Images — Gordon Flood/Diego Sideburns (via Flickr) Patrice Evra (screenshot via IG)

Sport

Travel warning issued as Manchester prepares for big night of music and football

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Travel advice issued ahead of 'really busy' weekend with Barry Manilow and Manchester City playing next door to each other. Credit: TfGM

Manchester is preparing for one of its busiest nights of the year, as two huge music legends take to the stage and the football season draws to a close.

There’s no denying that Manchester‘s social calendar has been getting busier and the summer starts to arrive, and we all know we’ve got a huge weekend of festivals coming up to celebrate the late May bank holiday, but it actually seems like tonight (20 May) may be one of the busiest nights the city has seen all year so far.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is encouraging people to make the most of public transport and active travel options, as nearly 100,000 people are expected into the city for two huge concerts and a footballing finale tonight.

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen is set to play to a sold-out Co-op Live, pop icon Kylie Minogue brings her ‘Tension Tour’ to the AO Arena, and Manchester City play their final home game of the season at the Etihad Stadium with an 8pm kick-off.

Manchester is preparing for one of its busiest nights of the year / Credit: TfGM

Not only is it a big deal that two of music‘s biggest names are performing in the city tonight, but over at the Etihad, it will also be legendary midfielder Kevin De Bruyne’s final home game for Manchester City.

At the Etihad Campus, it’s expected that there will be a crossover with City and Springsteen fans arriving at the same time for their respective events, and then with City planning a ‘lap of appreciation’ following the final whistle for De Bruyne’s departure, it’s thought that both the football and music fans could be leaving at a similar time too.

This is why a travel warning has been issued, and as always, it’s advised to ‘plan ahead’.

If possible, TfGM is recommending that it’s best to travel to and from your respective events outside peak times, as this is when the roads and tram network will be at their busiest, so instead, Springsteen fans may wish to take advantage of the 4:30pm early entry at Co-op Live.

Alternatively, there will also be express and shuttle bus services to and from Co-op Live and the Etihad Campus for both Springsteen and City fans, as well as trams – many with ‘double trams’ – operating every six-minutes from the city centre, and several ‘Park & Ride’ options for those wishing to drive.

Those who choose to travel by car, though, it should be noted that there will be a closure on Chapel Street heading towards Salford (westbound), between Blackfriars Road and New Bailey Street, and although a diversion is in place, you may want to plan an alternative route.

For Kylie fans, the AO Arena is served by multiple tram and train lines, and bus networks, all of which will be running throughout the day, as well as being just a 15-minute walk from the heart of Manchester too.

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TfGM says its control room will also be monitoring the transport network during the evening and responding to any incidents as they develop.

For more information and to plan your journey this evening, head to the Bee Network website here.

Featured Image – TfGM

Sport

Jack Catterall set for all-British bout in Manchester this summer

Danny Jones Danny Jones Jack Catterall vs Harlem Eubank fight Manchester tickets

Local fighter Jack Catterall is returning to Manchester for his latest fight against compatriot Harlem Eubank in what is sure to be a brilliant night for British boxing.

The all-English face-off between Catterall and Eubank will be the 33rd bout of the Chorley-born boxer’s career, returning to our city to hopefully get back to winning ways.

‘El Gato’s last appearance in the ring came against American Arnold Barboza Jr., in which he registered just his second-ever defeat on a debut visit to Co-op Live back in February, losing via split decision.

Now looking for redemption, the 31-year-old has sized up another member of the Eubank boxing dynasty, with Harlem still undefeated in 21 fights. They’ve already exchanged what we can only assume were a few spicy words:

The cousin of Chris Eubank Jr. and nephew of Eubank Sr., Harlem is one of several members of the family to have found their way into combat sports.

Harlem, also 31, turned pro back in 2017 and has quietly been building a consistent and thus far flawless record, with nine knockouts to his name.

Speaking ahead of the match-up, Catterall said: “This is another huge domestic fight that I can really sink my teeth into. “I’m eager to put on a big performance and make a statement in my first fight up at welterweight. The Eubank name is hot at the moment but I’m ready to put the fire out in style.”

Meanwhile, his opponent replied: “This is a fight that’s been on my radar for a long time, and I’m delighted it’s finally happening. Jack is a world-class fighter and, in my view – and many others’ – a former undisputed champion.

“These are the elite-level match-ups I’ve been calling for, and make no mistake, I’m ready.”

While many are arguing this is somewhat of a step down for Catterall, this will be the biggest fight of Eubank’s career yet, who has also called out fellow welterweight Conor Benn.

As for Catterall, who just missed out on becoming England’s first male undisputed champion in the four-belt era when he suffered his first loss to Josh Taylor back in 2022, he’ll just be glad to be back in action and will go in as the favourite.

The pair of UK fighters are scheduled to fight on Tuesday, 5 July at Manchester’s AO Arena, where so many iconic fights have been held in the past.

For those of you looking to grab tickets for Jack Catterall vs Harlem Eubank, you have two opportunities to grab early access, firstly through the venue’s own presale window and secondly for Three+ members – both of which go live at 10am on Tuesday, 20 May.

As for general admission, seats will be available from the same time on Wednesday, 10am. You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

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Featured Images — Press Shots (supplied)iFL TV (screenshot via YouTube)

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