Patrice Evra did not hold back in his criticism for English Manchester United players who did not appear in the 'Legends of the North' charity game against Liverpool.
Manchester United and Liverpool legends helped raise over £1.3 million for the Manchester United Foundation as over 48,000 supporters watched the Merseysiders win 3-1 at Old Trafford.
The likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Louis Saha and Jamie Carragher featured on the day, while three English representatives – Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Danny Webber – starred for the home side.
The lack of English players was brought up by a clearly agitated Evra after the final whistle.
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"I'm a little bit sad," the Frenchman said. "Liverpool had a great squad and that's why I'm not happy. Where are the English players? Where are they?"
You can see the full interview with YouTube channel United View below.
It didn't stop there. In another post-match interview, the former Manchester United full-back once again brought up the lack of English legends at the event.
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"Where are the English players? When the foundation call you, you have to show up," he told MUTV.
"I don't want to criticise the players in my team, but more players need to show up. I'm living in Dubai, but when United call you, you have to show up."
He added: "I'm gonna only have an ice bath, because I am so upset that we lost."
In the same interview, the former France international also spoke about the future of Manchester United following a disappointing campaign.
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"The current players have been here for so many years, the fans are on [top of] them so it brings a lot of negativity around the club. So we need fresh blood," Evra said.
"New players? What kind of players? Will these players come for the badge? Or will they come for the money or the fame? I'm more looking for players with character and [want to know] what their reason is for coming to United.
"Of course [we need an overhaul]. It's about time, we need a change. It will be like a dramatic change. I'm not saying 10 players leave and 10 players come in and this will be the solution. But it would be a good solution."
Liverpool legends recorded a 3-1 win over United thanks to goals from Mark Gonzalez [2] and Luis Garcia but more importantly, the game helped raise over £1.3 million for the Manchester United Foundation.
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John Shiels MBE, who is the chief executive at Manchester United Foundation, said: “These matches are a fantastic opportunity for fans to see legends of the game back in action, but more importantly, it’s the chance to make a difference to young people in our communities who have really suffered during the pandemic.
"More children than ever are living below the poverty line – in Manchester and Oldham the number of children living in poverty has increased by 53% and 84% respectively from 2016 to 2021 – and this is likely to increase again due to the rise in living and energy costs.
“Many children are also suffering with their mental health, so your support through events like this is vital to help Manchester United Foundation deliver life-changing programmes and really make a difference to their futures.”
Featured Image Credit: United View/YouTubeTopics: Patrice Evra, Manchester United, Premier League, Liverpool
