Patrice Evra: Cristiano Ronaldo was ‘99%’ returning to Man United, then Fergie quit [Sunday Times]

Patrice Evra, now at Juventus, has given an excellent interview with the Sunday Times in which he told the story of how Cristiano Ronaldo was 99% locked in to returning to Manchester United just before Sir Alex Ferguson quit.

Evra also disclosed how Sir Alex openly groomed Ryan Giggs and the French international left-back to one day move into football management.

On the Ronaldo story, Evra spoke about how Ferguson had personally revealed that Cristiano wanted to return to Old Trafford, while the paper then fleshed out the details of the deal which never happened.

According to the weekend broadsheet, “Ferguson had been working with Ronaldo’s representatives to bring the forward back from Real Madrid, and Ronaldo wanted the move.”

Evra’s recollection of the Ronaldo’s non-transfer was as follows:

I remember we talked maybe two weeks before and he said, ‘Patrice, I will be here another five years’.

I said. ‘Yes, boss. Let’s do it.’ I was so convinced. He was looking younger and younger, amazing. He even told me ‘99%, Cristiano Ronaldo will come’. I was like, ‘Wow, we are ready to bounce back and to even win the Champions League again’.

After that everyone knows what happened. You know when you are lost and you feel like the world is crumbling? It was a big trauma. I felt lost.

The 34-year-old defender also revealed how he faced major opposition at Old Trafford before he left to join Juventus, with David Moyes, Ed Woodward, Ryan Giggs and Louis van Gaal all pleading with him at various points to remain at the club.

Evra, however, was persuaded to leave England by his wife, who was keen on move to Italy, as well as the interest from Juventus which was considered real and genuine. He said:

David Moyes had said to me, ‘I really want you to stay because you are my captain’. I explain, ‘But I have got a family problem and it will be difficult for me to stay’. After that I met [executive vice-chairman] Ed Woodward, ‘Patrice, I know your problem, your agent told me about it, but I can’t lose you. You are such an important figure at the club.’

Ryan Giggs called me and said ‘Come on Patrice, if you want, you can talk with [Louis] Van Gaal’. I say, ‘OK, but I am really upset and let’s see.’ Ed Woodward called me and said again ‘Patrice, I am sorry. But you have to stay, I will give you another two years contract.’ I understood he had the club’s interests at heart. I didn’t know what to do.

The president of Juventus, Andrea Agnelli, called me and said ‘Look, we didn’t put your contract to the Italian league, you can change your mind, but we really want you here’. And I feel somebody really wants me strongly, with a lot of respect.

After that I speak with my wife and she was ready to go, so I call Ed Woodward to say, ‘I am sorry, I already gave my word to Juventus, I can’t go back’.

Finally I meet Van Gaal. ‘Patrice, nice to meet you, a lot of people talk so well about you. I really want you to stay.’ I say, ‘It’s too late…’ ‘No. I have got a lot of plans for you, for you to play centre-back sometimes. Play 3-5-2.’

See a copy of the full interview below.