The process of writing an autobiography either triggers a person to analyze itself thoroughly or reassures that memories and inner incertainties need to be acknowledged and spoken about.Manchester United legend Patrice Evra carried a heavy burden for 27 years and in his self-recollection book he spoke about things that shaped him, marked him and ways of dealing with narrowness in his life.The portion of the book that probably surprised the most is Evra’s story of how he got abused by a teacher at the age of 13.Helping others who have been through the same torment was the spark that made him speak publicly about the distressing experience.A teacher offered young Patrice a spare room to help him cut down on the long commute to and from school. The gnarly situation occurred while Evra was living with that teacher.’The teacher, believing I’d gone to sleep, would put his hands under my bedcover and try to touch me’, Evra explains in a section from his new book.’I knew what he was doing was wrong, so I tried to push him away and punch him… There were no words spoken in the dark, but he was touching himself and getting sexually excited by what was happening.’Patrice Evra has opened up on the sexual abuse he suffered as a child in the hope of helping other children who are suffering.📝 https://t.co/kV6vSeddax pic.twitter.com/jhsnCS86bM— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 22, 2021 ‘On the last night at that man’s house, when he knew that I was going back to my family, he finally succeeded. He put my penis in his mouth. ‘Years later, when I was playing for Monaco, the police called me. Some kids had complained about this man and the police wanted to know if he’d ever tried to do something to me. Because I was famous and worried about the reaction, I lied and said no. They asked me if I was sure and I assured them I was. I have lived with that lie for many years. I can’t tell you how much I regret that.’A situation where a person uses it’s position of trust to harm another is something so many people went through but never said anything about it. That is why Evra did not back down from putting that scarring scene of his life in his book. Evra has now used his own position of power to spread the word that it is okay to speak out.What adds on to the surprise is that the 40-year-old former footballer told his mother of the abuse only two weeks ago, when he travelled back to France to make her aware before the release of the book.’The first thing my mum says is, “if you don’t sue him, I’ll sue him. If he’s still alive, I’m going to kill him.” Evra said in an interview with The Times.’There is a lot of rage. I know my mum and people from my family will do research and see if they can sue. But I buried this thing so deep I didn’t think about [prosecution].’I know you guys just see the strong, positive and happy Patrice but there were also tough things in my life…like my devastated mother say that made me who I am. pic.twitter.com/hNqbZCeIbp— Patrice Evra (@Evra) October 23, 2021 What also helped him break the barrier and open up on the issue is the reassurance and confidence his fiancee Margaux Alexandra gave him.’I met a new woman and emotionally I am more open. She is my best friend, my soulmate, even my psychologist, she is an angel. ‘Living with that was one of my biggest regrets because I could have helped so many people,’ he adds. ‘I’ve had enough of this toxic masculinity. For my father, crying was weak, but crying is not being weak.’Evra’s off-the-pitch persona exudes joy and laughter and his loud and bubbly personality is widely known across all forms of media. This perspective of Patrice’s life shines a new light on people’s struggles no one is aware of and opens new doors on battling emotional and psychological hurdles.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Those who follow the most watched sport in the world are more than aware of Evra’s achievements on the pitch – as a player at Manchester United, Evra played nearly 400 matches, winning five Premier League trophies and a Champions League. He also wore shirts of Monaco, Juventus, Marseille, West Ham…With his national team of France, he achieved 81 caps and earned being voted into the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2009.
