Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has announced the death of his mother in an emotional social media post. The 45-year-old struggled to contain his emotions in a poignant tribute to his mum, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Emotional tribute on Instagram
Evra posted a video of himself performing Sexion D'Assaut's track 'Avant qu'elle parte' or 'Before she goes'. The defender held back tears while singing the song's words before delivering a deeply emotional tribute to his mother.
The ex-Man United star stated: "I lost my rock, but I'm trying to stay positive. People ask me every time now if I'm always happy. Not now. For all the people who still got their mum, in death that doesn't stop the love, just tell them you love them. Every single day before they leave. I love you all."
Message to fans
Evra wrote alongside the post: "Even when the whole world is against you, she will always be your best friend. A mother's love is forever, no matter what happens in life. Rest in peace, Maman. You will always be in my heart."
This isn't the first occasion he's delivered a moving tribute to his mum, having previously detailed her health battles in an earlier video.
One-shoe tribute explained
A follower had questioned why Evra appeared in social media posts wearing just one shoe, to which he explained it was a tribute to his mother, who had her leg amputated following hospital admission in 2010 while he was on duty with the French national squad.
Speaking to Pluto TV, he revealed: "People ask me in the comments every time, 'why is he wearing one shoe?' 'He doesn't have enough money' or whatever. No, actually, every time I do a video and I'm not wearing the left shoes, I dedicate all my videos to my mum."
The former United defender left the international squad to travel to the hospital, where he was met by family members in tears. Recounting the harrowing moment, he said: "I asked the manager and the next day I went to the hospital. When I arrived in the corridor, everyone was crying. I saw my brother and sister. I said, 'Wow, this is weird.'"
"Then I went to the room. My mum was on the bed and I kissed her. Then I sat next to her. It was only when I pulled off the blanket, that's when I saw the left leg was missing. Every time I do a video, I just dedicate it to my hero, my mum. It was difficult at the beginning but my mum has her fake legs and she dances."
