Carlos Tevez explains emotional reason he refused to learn English despite playing for three Premier League clubs

Carlos Tevez has explained why he refused to learn English despite spending seven years in the Premier League.

Tevez first moved to West Ham in a controversial shock 2006 January deadline day swoop alongside Javier Mascherano and later went on to win three Premier League titles with Manchester United and Manchester City.

Tevez made 201 appearances in the top flight and scored 84 times before departing for Juventus in 2013.

But oddly he never truly felt comfortable in England and once claimed he would never return to Manchester, claiming "there are two restaurants, everything is small" and "it rains all the time".

Tevez never gave any interviews in English during his stint in England and did not learn the language despite being advised to do so by compatriot Pablo Zabaleta, who immersed himself into the culture at City.

But in a new interview, the former Boca Juniors man has revealed that he developed a “cultural problem” with England and wanted to be spoken to in Spanish.

It stems from his uncle, a promising footballer with River Plate, becoming an alcoholic after serving in the Falklands War and Tevez being bitter over it as a result.

Image: Alamy

"I didn't want to learn English because I had a cultural problem with them, I wanted them to learn Spanish," Tevez told 'Arriba Carajo' with Gastón Recondo on DSports Radio in his homeland.

"My uncle played for River, the only River fan in the family, who made it to the reserve. When he was about to play first, they called him for the Malvinas War and he couldn't play first.

"He became an alcoholic after the war, he was very bad after that. We were very close and that stuck with me.

"I spent seven years in England, but I did not adjust to the English culture. I did not like learning English because of my uncle and that culture shock that it caused me."

Image: Alamy

Tevez announced his retirement in 2022, admitted he could no longer find the energy to keep playing after the death of his father due to COVID-19 complications.

He became manager of Rosario Central before quitting after just five months and 24 games.

Topics: Carlos Tevez, Manchester City, Manchester United, Premier League, Argentina

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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