Evra reveals he swore at Ed Woodward after United blocked his Juventus move

Patrice Evra has described the explosive phone call in which he swore at Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward after the club invoked a contract clause to block his planned departure to Juventus in the summer of 2014.

Evra, who made 379 appearances for United after joining from Monaco in 2006, had already agreed a two-year deal with the Italian giants and informed Woodward he intended to leave when his contract expired at the end of the 2013/14 season. Woodward initially accepted the decision, but reversed course in May of that year, triggering a one-year extension option buried in Evra’s contract.

“Before the end of that season Ed told me, ‘Patrice, you’re going to stay for another year because we’ve got an option in your contract,’” Evra recalled. “But I told him I needed to leave because of family reasons. He shook my hand and said he understood.”

The news reached Evra on his birthday while he was having dinner in Dubai. “I had a text from my agent. He told me to go somewhere quiet and sent me a message with the statement from United saying they were pleased to renew my contract for another year. I went mad, I was really disappointed.”

Evra, now 45, said the situation quickly escalated. “I called Ed and swore on the phone, even threatened him. He said I couldn’t talk to the director of football like that and that he was going to fine me. After that Ryan Giggs called and said I couldn’t leave just because of one man, but it gave me an excuse to leave.”

Despite the acrimony, Evra said he understood the logic behind Woodward’s decision, even if he felt betrayed by the manner in which it was handled. “Of the senior players I was the only one he wanted to keep. They said to Ferdinand and Vidic, we don’t need you anymore, but in the dressing room you need a character. I understood Ed, but I didn’t understand why he betrayed me. He should’ve called me to explain.”

Two months after United’s announcement, Evra joined Juventus for £1.2m. The following season he appeared in the Champions League final as Juventus lost to Barcelona — the fifth European final of his career. He admitted, however, that he would have preferred to remain at United even as the club struggled under Louis van Gaal.

Evra won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during his eight years at Old Trafford, and also earned 81 caps for France.