Evra: Its Crunch Time

As United prepare for Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Portsmouth, Patrice Evra admits he’s more than a little excited about what lies ahead over the coming months.

The prize for victory over Harry Redknapp’s side is a trip to Wembley (both this season’s FA Cup semi finals will be played at the ground), while United also wait anxiously for next Friday’s Champions League quarter (and semi) final draw.

Of course, there’s also the matter of the Barclays Premier League, where results last weekend saw the Reds close the gap at the top of the table to just one point and, perhaps, gain a valuable psychological advantage over Arsenal.

“This is the life!” Patrice Evra told Manchester United Radio. “This is why I joined Manchester United. Every game is important; every game feels like a final.

“When you play for United the aim is simple: you need to win. Anything else is considered a failure.”

Evra’s been anything but a let-down since his arrival from AS Monaco in 2006. A speedy, skilful left back, the French international has worked hard to cement a spot in Sir Alex’s first-choice XI.

“I felt I played well last season, so people expected even more of me this time around,” he reveals. “If I don’t do well in this campaign then people could dismiss last year as an accident.

“But I’m happy with my form and I’m very hungry to continue to play well and win trophies. I want to win the league even more than last season because it’s so much harder to do it twice.”

He won’t make any predictions about the silverware that could find its way into the Reds’ trophy cabinet come May, but Evra feels United are well equipped to challenge on all three fronts.

“It’s a very exciting time to be at Manchester United and I believe the squad is even stronger than last season’s. That doesn’t mean we’ll win all three trophies, but a stronger squad will certainly help. Just look at the quality that joined in the summer: Anderson, Hargreaves, Nani, Tevez.”

Evra, meanwhile, has developed into something of a cult hero on the terraces, no thanks to an interview earlier this season where he revealed he thanked God every day for the opportunity to play at Old Trafford.

Six months down the track, he still stands by those words.

“Of course,” he says. “It’s unbelievable at United. I wake up, I have the good life, I’m playing at the biggest club in the world.

“Some people get out of bed at 5am and then go to work to do something they don’t enjoy; I get paid to play football. What can I do except thank God?”