Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has opened up on his harrowing experience dealing drugs and begging on the streets – and also shared his anguish over being sexually abused by his school teacher.
Evra, 40, stayed silent on the sensitive topics for decades, but while writing his autobiography made the brave decision to speak out. As a result, extracts detailing the extent of his heart-rendering pain were made public last October.
He is now taking part in a new BBC One Series, Freeze the Fear, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Lee Mack – and, on the latest episode, delved into his dark past.
While playing two truths and a lie with celebrities, he explained he resorted to eating cold Big Macs out of bins, sent off course after his dad left when he was aged just 13.
‘I did like three things before playing football,’ he said.
Manchester United legend Patrice Evra has opened up on his harrowing experiences as a child
Tamzin Outhwaite replied: ‘Put them in any order you want, don’t include football.’
His answer then caused an audible gasp, as he said: ‘Selling drugs. Begging in front of the shop, for money, and working in a TV shop. One is not true.’
The guests attempted to guess what the false claim was, and he went on to reveal: ‘I didn’t sell TVs. The other two are true. I was like 13.’
Gabby Logan was visibly shocked when saying: ’13 when both of those happened? So you got involved with a bad bunch.’
Evra said he dealt drugs and begged before football helped him to leave the anguish behind
Evra admitted that begging became ‘normal’ for him, adding: ‘Sometimes even at midnight, when they throw away the cold Big Macs, we were going into the bin.
‘I think when my dad left it was like chaos.’
Quizzed on how he left the turmoil behind, he said: ‘The football saved me.
‘When I was 17, I travelled to Italy. I remember when we arrived and we were sitting all the time and they were serving us food. I got into my room.
Known as a joker in the dressing room during his career, Evra kept his hidden turmoil a secret
‘I wore a tracksuit and I called my Mum and said, “Mum, here is like heaven, people are serving us food, it’s like two forks in one side, two knives in one side.”
‘That’s my best memory.’
Evra also said being sexually abused at a young age heavily impacted his life.
Speaking in a piece to camera, he said: ‘Being sexually abused at the age of 13 had a massive impact on my life. You just feel shame about yourself.
Evra enjoyed a successful career with United, and even won the Champions League in 2008
‘When you don’t trust the authority, because it was my head teacher, you just don’t trust anybody else.’
As a player with United, he played almost 400 matches, winning five Premier League trophies and the Champions League in 2008.
With France, he earned 81 caps and was voted into the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2009.
