Former Man U ace Patrice Evra eyes boxing
Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has confirmed he will try his hand at boxing next month against social media star Adam Saleh.
The 40-year-old ex-France left-back – who won five Premier League titles and the Champions League in eight years at United retired from professional football in July 2019.
He has since made appearances as a pundit on Sky Sports and has delivered passionate rants previously when discussing his former club on the channel.
But now he will turn his attention to the boxing ring on the undercard of Martyn Ford’s heavyweight clash against Sajad Gharibi, better known as the Iranian Hulk.
‘This fight will be April 30 at The O2 Arena in London,’ Evra said of the bout on Instagram live on Thursday night.
‘So I’m going to need my whole UK family to pull up and show their love, from not just London but all over the UK I need you guys because this is going to be really crazy.’
The French star has trained in the boxing ring previously and was seen hitting pads shortly after hanging up his boots in 2019.
Speaking to Boxstar UK earlier this year, Evra said: ‘I’m really excited to participate for the first time ever in my life in a boxing match, because I always had so much respect for people boxing.
‘It is not just about power and strength, it is also about strategy and technique — It’s like a chess game.
‘What I am the most excited for is the training technique, because the way they train is completely different to how football players train. I am really excited to work hard, to challenge myself, and to get out of my comfort zone.
‘It is a massive opportunity for me. Of course, I want to have fun, like with everything I do, but I also want to make sure I show that I respect this sport.’
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He is now set to test his skills against Saleh, whose major YouTube boxing card record reads two wins and draw.
Evra made 379 appearances for United and also represented West Ham, Juventus, Monaco and Marseille, as well as winning 81 senior caps for his country.
Evra is not the only footballer fighting next month, with former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara set to face Kris Boyson in a charity boxing match on 2 April.
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