This is not at all the norm, but a handful of players have made a large career without going through a professional club training center. Among the 2018 world champions for example, Adil Rami played at ES Fréjus before arriving at LOSC at 21, while N'Golo Kanté was spotted at 19 by US Boulogne by playing at JS Suresnes. Still in the Paris region, Didier Drogba and Wissam Ben Yedder have scored goals in clubs of lower divisions until their 19 years. And what about Patrice Evra, also from Île-de-France?
Blocked at the Brétigny-sur-Orge club (Essonne) because failed by Toulouse FC and even PSG, Evra made the surprising choice to join Marsala, in Italian D3, then Monza, in Serie B. This is what it allowed to reveal itself in Nice from 2000 to 2002 before becoming one of the best left-wing side of Ligue 1 with AS Monaco de Didier Deschamps. But it was nothing next to the great career he has made in Manchester United for eight years, from 2006 to 2014 (379 matches, 10 goals). He was champion of England five times and won the Champions League in 2008 (losing in the final in 2009 and 2011).
Among the Red Devils, Evra has become the best left side of Premier League (elected three times in the Team of the Year) and even from the world in 2009 (elected in the FifPro World XI with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi). Having become vice-captain behind Nemanja Vidic, Evra is a player who marked his time. The X Manchester United account & its story achieves a top 100 of the best players in the history of the English club and thus place Evra, also captain with the Blues, in 25th place.
Evra, “One of the best defenders of his generation”
“With an overflowing passion, its incredible level of play, its regularity, its charisma and its loyalty, Patrice Evra has established itself as one of the best defenders of its generation and one of the most dominant teams in the modern history of Manchester United. A tireless left side, Évra was a duty player, combining physical, intelligence and tactical power. But beyond his performance on the ground, it is his love of the club, his natural leadership and his colorful personality that conquered old trafford ”writes Manchester United & its history.
Evra is ahead of other emblematic players from Man United like Jaap Stam (34th), Andy Cole (35th), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (37th), Robin Van Persie (39th), Dwight Yorke (40th), Antonio Valencia (51st) or Phil Neville (60th). A little further, Mikaël Silvestre (68th) is the other French player quoted for the moment with Evra, pending the rest of the ranking and The King Eric Cantona. Current captain Bruno Fernandes is in the top 50 (45th) and Marcus Rashford, yet Flop XXL of recent years, is 52nd of this ranking.
