Evra's Red delight

When Patrice Evra walks onto the Old Trafford pitch on Sunday afternoon to commence battle with title rivals Chelsea, the Frenchman will do so secure in the knowledge that he has both the manager's and the home crowd's full support.

Following Gabriel Heinze's exit to Real Madrid and Mikael Silvestre's season-ending injury sustained in last weekend's 1-0 win over Everton, Evra is now Sir Alex Ferguson's undisputed first-choice left back. But it's hardly a case of victory by default.

Instead, over the last 18 months, the 26-year-old has risen to prominence on the back of a number of colossal displays on the left side of defence. Strong in the tackle, agile and surprisingly good in the air for someone who's just 5'8", Evra has all the necessary attributes of a top-class defender.

And yet it's his willingness to get forward and run at opposition defenders that's arguably won him more attention and endeared him to even the most critical match-going Reds. Speedy and direct, Evra also boasts a repertoire of tricks and flicks that regularly lures fans to their feet.

Rewind to early 2006, however, and Evra admits he was worried United supporters would never take to him. A bad mistake on his debut – against Manchester City, no less – was followed by a string of less-than-inspiring performances while he took time to adapt to the English game and settle in a new country.

"My first six months were very difficult," Evra told Manchester United Radio, "but the manager pulled me aside and told me that all the fans had been applauding me. I was concerned but he said he hadn't heard any fans say they were unhappy with me.

"That gave me lots of confidence and now I'm doing well. And that's why I think this is the best club in the world and we have the best fans in the world. Manchester United is not just a team – it's like a big family.

"In France I never played in front of fans like this. Walking out at Old Trafford is just unbelievable. It's a real privilege and I thank the Gods every day that I play for United. Every time I play I just try and respect the shirt and do my best for the club."

Evra's next challenge will come on Sunday when FA Cup winners Chelsea visit Old Trafford after a tumultuous week. Held to a home draw by Danish club Rosenborg in the Champions League on Tuesday, Blues fans woke on Thursday morning to news that manager Jose Mourinho had sensationally left the club.

Patrice is quick, however, to dismiss suggestions that United players may think the game's already won.

"I don't care if Chelsea have lost their boss or haven't played well recently. I'm focussing only on my own job and on Manchester United," he insisted.

"The papers are all talking about Mourinho but we're not taking any notice of that. This is a very important game and it's never easy to beat Chelsea. All I know is that we're at home and we need to win."

His focus is admirable, as is his stance on the relevance of Sunday's match to the 2007/08 title race.

"Yes, it's a big game, but in England you must play every game at 100 per cent. When we play against the likes of Blackburn, Portsmouth and Bolton, they are very difficult matches and we have to fight very hard to get a result. It's those teams you really need to beat if you want to be champions. Those games are often more important than the ones against the top four."

It's also essential, he says, that United continue keeping clean sheets. The Reds' last four matches have all ended in 1-0 victories and it's a statistic Evra takes great delight in.

"We're defending very well at the moment, but it's not just the back four doing the work. In Edwin van der Sar we have one of the best goalkeepers in the world and his confidence is sky-high at the moment.

"He has had a great start to the season, which stemmed from his three penalty saves against Chelsea in the Community Shield. Now the most important thing is that we keep picking up three points.

"I get on well with a lot of the Chelsea players – Florent Malouda, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien – but during the game we won't be friends. Maybe afterwards we'll have a drink... only water though, no alcohol!"

Nevermind. The pubs around Manchester will certainly be full on Sunday evening if United can further dint Chelsea's title ambitions. And don't bet against one or two fans raising a glass to Patrice Evra, committed Red and full-back extraordinaire.