Ex-Manchester United man Patrice Evra has revealed the intense meeting he had with Sir Alex Ferguson that convinced him to join Manchester United and, as it turns out, reject Liverpool.
The former French fullback recently appeared on fellow teammate Rio Ferdinand‘s FIVE podcast to discuss all things football, United and plenty more, so it was no surprise that talk eventually turned to Sir Alex Ferguson and the impact he had on his career.
Rolling back the years to 2006 when Evra first joined United, the 41-year-old shone some light on the rather full-on first meeting he had with Sir Alex and then chief executive David Gill in Paris, which involved lots of translation and the usual no-nonsense approach from his soon-to-be manager.
As he remembers it, the conversation was “like an interview with the FBI”.
We’re sure Evra isn’t the only one Sir Alex had this effect on.
Evra detailed how he, Sir Alex, Gill and his agent all met in a special room at Charles de Gaulle Airport and the Scots’ first questions were straight to the point: “Do you drink?… Do you like to go out?; Are you ready to not lose a game? Are you ready to not even draw one game?” etc.
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He went on to explain that from the moment he shook Sir Alex’s hand, he felt as though if he let the team and him down, in particular, “this man would kill me—but it was really impressive.” Crazy to think the kind of impact he could have in such a short space of time.
To make the story even more high-stakes, Patrice also revealed that before he signed on the dotted line for United, he could have very well joined their rivals further down the River Mersey.
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Yes, Patrice said that “before United came, [me and] my agent, we had Liverpool and Inter Milan”, adding that his agent was so excited to get the call from Old Trafford.
He insisted that the move was always leaning in United’s favour as he had grown up watching club legend Eric Cantona, who had a “big influence” on his decision.
However, the move materialised mainly down to SAF himself: “When I met Ferguson, I felt like something special — you feel like his aura. If you do well for this man you feel, you are going to win and achieve lot of things”.
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Cut to a few years later and he was right, he won pretty much everything there is to win a club level barring the FA Cup. Go figure.
You can watch the full interview, including Patrice Evra’s story of the time he chose to confront Sir Alex Ferguson down below:
Featured Image — FIVE (via YouTube)/Manchester United/Patrice Evra (via IG)
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Manchester Storm’s record-breaking return to AO Arena goes down a storm with fans
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Storm have made their grand return to the AO Arena, after more than two decades away from their former home.
And it appears the ice hockey craze (which may have been spurred on by a certain Heated Rivalry) is here to stay, with record-breaking numbers piling into the venue for Sunday’s match against Sheffield Steelers.
The AO Arena has now shared that a record crowd of 11,000 fans attended the long-awaited Manchester Storm homecoming last week.
The action has gone down a storm with fans, with plenty of chatter on social media (and videos of a certain fight) doing the rounds.
Manchester Storm’s homecoming has now smashed the record for an Elite Hockey pre-season fixture, with fans travelling from across Manchester and beyond.
As the team enters this new era, bidding farewell to the ‘Storm Shelter’ in Altrincham that’s been their home for a decade, demand for tickets is continuing to grow.
This is the first time fans have been able to see the club on the ice at the AO Arena since 2004, and last weekend they thrilled supporters with a 5-5 draw agains the Steelers.
Manchester Storm is now set to bring approximately 35 games to the city centre each year, providing a regular programme of major sporting events for Manchester and its visitors.
It also brings elite-level hockey back to one of Europe’s largest indoor sporting arenas.
Gemma Vaughan, General Manager at the AO Arena says, “Tonight is a hugely significant moment for Manchester.
“To welcome Manchester Storm back to their former home after more than 20 years, and to do so in front of a record Elite Hockey League crowd, is incredibly special.
“The response from supporters has demonstrated the strength of Manchester’s passion for ice hockey and the demand for world-class sport in the city. We’re proud to be able to provide a home for the Storm as they begin this exciting new chapter.”
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it
Emily Sergeant
Erling Haaland has answered the all-important question.
The question heard around the world, the question on everyone’s lips, a question that has absolutely nothing to do with football whatsoever… that’s right, he’s answered Letterboxd’s famous question of ‘what are your four favourite films?’.
If you’re unaware of what Letterboxd is, it describes itself as being an ‘online diary platform and app for film lovers’ and it gives users the chance to display their four favourite films at the top of their profile for all to see (and judge).
An extension of this has then been Letterboxd asking celebrities in press junket interviews and on red carpets what their ‘four faves’ are – and it’s gone on to become something of a phenomenon in the film world.
Everyone from massive A-list movie stars, to indie darlings and up-and-coming names have answered this question before, and now (it appears) to be Erling Haaland’s turn.
He’s not the first footballer to be tasked with question though, as the entire Spurs team was ambushed with it by former player – and famously massive cinephile – Alfie Whiteman last year, but it’s fair to say that after the summer he’s had with Norway at the World Cup, achieving international fame in the process, that Haaland is one of the most high-profile to answer it in a long while.
So, what’s on Erling’s list then?
Well, to self-confessed ‘film bros’ out there, you’re not going to find any deep cuts in this selection unfortunately, and you’re probably not going to get any recommendations for movies you haven’t seen before either, but come on, he is only a footballer after all.
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it / Credit: Letterboxd
First up for the Manchester City striker is a pretty common pick by straight white men, it’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and he doesn’t give much of a reason for it, other than just suggesting: “I think you understand why”.
He then follows that up with Ridley Scott’s classic Gladiator, calling it ‘amazing’, before naming 2004’s epic Troy, and then rounding it out with a Christmas favourite for many, Home Alone, adding that he ‘watched it a lot as a kid, and then again now’.
As for fan reaction to Haaland’s four favourites, let’s just say it’s been mixed.
Among the 1,000+ comments on the Instagram video, you’ll find just as many people called him ‘king’ and saying he has ‘goated’ taste, as you will comments like this: “He has the most male gazed top four in history of Letterboxd.”
Danny Jones -
21st March 2023 
