Holyfield Hits Old Trafford

Earlier this month, Evander Holyfield dropped in on Old Trafford to catch a glimpse of "the famous Manchester United" in action. Thankfully, ManUtd.com managed a grab a word with the former heavyweight champion of the world...

What brings you to Manchester?
I am here to see the game and also giving motivational speeches, talking about my career and things that I’ve achieved. It helps people who are under-privileged. I’m also doing lots of work for the Global Village Champions Foundation, an incredible charity that is trying to feed the homeless.

How much do you enjoy football (soccer)?
I am a sports fan and soccer is one of the things that I really like. It is something new for me, I have seen it on TV and this is the first time I’ve seen it live. I’ve heard United are the best and I like being around the best, so it was great to visit Old Trafford.

What do you make of the current heavyweight division?
It’s not great but it can be improved with the breakdown of the Klitschkos. In a year of two, I think there will be a changing of the guard but until a genuine challenger comes up, it won’t happen. In boxing, you are the champion until somebody comes along and takes it off you. So until somebody beats a Klitschko, or until they retire, it won’t change.

Are there any parallels between boxing and football?
Well, boxing is an individual sport whereas football is a team sport and you need everybody to do their part to win. A comparison can be made in the preparation and the coaches that we have. Nobody succeeds by working on their own. I didn’t become the very best because I trained myself, I had help from others. So even though it is an individual sport, you need a good team around you.

You must have made quite a few sacrifices to achieve success?
Well that you do! One of the things that I talk about is motivation. I just didn’t quit. You are going to have pressure and distractions. You will find that all of the great ones have a distraction and people pulling them in different directions, but they said no. I had a long career that went on because I didn’t quit and I was able to fight off the distractions.

How would you motivate the United team this season?
Well I would tell them what my Mother used to tell me. She used to say that if you show up and outwork the opponent then you will win 99% of the time. As long as you don’t take things for granted, you will always win.