When Patrice Evra was linked with a return to Manchester United in the January transfer window, the supporters could hardly believe it. While the left-back had been past his best before he left the club, and clearly would be even slower now, he was so well loved by the fans they didn’t care. 

The football betting news might have been against it, with the belief that Jose Mourinho wasn’t interested, but Evra had confirmed the manager talked to him about the transfer, only for someone else, possibly Ed Woodward, getting in the way. 

I was very close to a return to Manchester United. I also spoke with Mourinho but there was a person, whose name I will not say, who probably did not like the idea of my return.

Even the fans were enthusiastic and would have been delighted, but because I realised that they [the club] would not do anything I then asked my agent to look for other teams.

Marseille immediately won me over with their project and immediately created a great feeling.

We only spent one day to close the deal. They really treated me like a God, making it clear they had a great need for me.