Patrice Evra's autobiography scored by S&S

Simon & Schuster is to publish I Love This Game, the autobiography of Patrice Evra, the former Manchester United and France football captain.

Evra played in Italy and for Nice and Monaco before joining Manchester United in January 2006, eventually making 379 appearances in almost nine seasons at the club, where he won 14 major honours, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008. He went on to play for Juventus, Marseille and West Ham United, also winning 81 caps for France. 

Ian Marshall, deputy publishing director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Paul Moreton of Bell Lomax Moreton, and the book will be published in hardback on 28th October.

"As a lifelong United fan, I am unsurprisingly thrilled to be bringing Patrice’s remarkable story to a wider audience," Marshall said. "Especially since he retired, Patrice has built a brilliant new platform for himself, both as a passionate and incisive pundit on TV and via his hugely popular social media feeds, where his infectious enthusiasm is best summed up by the catchphrase that was the inevitable title of the book: I Love This Game. What the book reveals, however, is an astonishing story of triumph over the darkest adversity and provides a fascinating insight into his life and career."

Evra said: "I want this book to inspire the next generation to chase their dreams and their goals, pushing their limits but also to make sacrifices. I've been really successful in my career, but I think the most important thing is that I have won the biggest prize and that is life and being happy, no matter the circumstance. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work with Simon & Schuster to share my story, to give a real insight into what it’s like to play at the very highest level, as well as revealing the details of some events that I have never spoken about before."