Recently-retired Patrice Evra has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson gave him his trademark hairdryer treatment after enduring a disastrous debut for Manchester United .
Evra called time on his playing career on Monday after a glittering spell in the Premier League, which began when he arrived at Old Trafford in 2006.
The likeable Frenchman was handed his debut by Ferguson just four days after linking up with the Red Devils, starting the Premier League encounter at fierce rivals Manchester City .
But it was by no means an enjoyable experience for Evra, who was struggling with illness in the build-up to the mouthwatering Manchester showdown.
He wrote in The Players' Tribune : "You might remember that I made my debut away to Manchester City. Big derby. The game kicked off at 12.45 pm, which was unusual for me as a Frenchman. I’m not big on traditional breakfasts, so I didn’t know what to eat to get ready.
"I went for pasta and beans. I got sick. I was vomiting. I went to my room wondering what to do.
"Should I tell Ferguson that I can’t play, that I’m sick?
"No Patrice, you can’t! You’ll look soft and scared. You have to play. On the bus to the stadium, I was feeling dizzy. It was sunny, it felt hot. In Manchester! Come on…"
Evra went on to explain how Ferguson hauled him off at half-time in what proved to be a tough introduction to English football.
"I went up for a header against Trevor Sinclair. BOOM! An elbow in my face. Blood everywhere. I was losing it.
"You know the cartoons where you have a bubble that says what the character is thinking? My bubble was saying, Oh my God, these guys are so fast, so strong. It was so nice in Monte Carlo.…
"At half-time, we were 2–0 down. Ferguson was raging. 'And YOU, Patrice,' he shouted. 'That’s enough for you! You sit down and watch now, because you have to learn English football.'
"I took off my boots, wiped away some blood. We lost 3–1. I was really down."
Evra ultimately went on to earn legendary status at Old Trafford, winning one Champions League title, the Premier League five times and the League Cup on three occasions.
After his trophy-laden 12-year spell with the Red Devils, he joined Juventus and helped them win the Serie A and Coppa Italia double in both 2014-15 and 2015-16.
He went on to play for Marseille and also had a short spell with United's top-flight rivals West Ham , but has now opted to hang up his boots and pursue a coaching career.
