Man Utd legend Patrice Evra speaks about his decision to play international football for France
MANCHESTER UNITED legend Patrice Evra has spoken about the tricky decision he had to make over whether to play for France or Senegal.
The former left-back was born in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, and moved to France when he was a child.
He chose to play for France, and won 81 caps for Les Bleus between 2004 and 20016.
Evra, 41, spoke of the choice he had to make over his international career while in Ghana, where he met President Nana Akufo-Addo
He said: “I’m born in Dakar, I played for France.
“When I was young my parents gave me the choice to pick my national team, and growing up in France I picked France.
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“But I understand later, it's really important to pick your own country, because it becomes politics.
“When you win you are a French player, when you lose you are a Senaglese player.”
Many France players have African origins, due to post-World War Two labour policies, which saw an influx of workers from French colonies and former colonies to ease a labour crisis.
Many players in England's own set-up share dual nationality with other countries, with the likes of Michail Antonio and Wilfried Zaha ultimately choosing to represent Jamaica and the Ivory Coast respectively.
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Evra was one of the world's best left-backs and won a whole host of accolades at club level with the likes of Man Utd and Juventus.
Since retiring from football in 2019 he has earned his coaching badges, and has also worked as a TV pundit.