Patrice Evra Had Trainers Burnt in Manchester United Prank, Reveals Gerard Pique

Patrice Evra once had a prized pair of trainers burnt by some of his Manchester United team-mates in a cruel dressing-room prank, according to former Red Devil Gerard Pique.

The Barcelona centre-back has revealed that Evra—now at Juventus—waited for four months for some Nike trainers to be delivered, personalised with the names of his children.

According to Pique—who played for United between 2004 and 2008—no sooner had they arrived than they were set on fire by some of the United team, who recorded the prank and sent it to the Frenchman, per TV3 (via Aaron Flanagan in the Mirror):

"

Evra one day came into the changing rooms wearing some Nike trainers that he'd ordered four months before, with the name of his kids embroidered on them. Very shiny.

When he went for a shower, they took them and burnt them.

What’s more, they recorded it and they sent him the video. This was the level [of practical jokes] at United.

I recognise that they were pretty strong but in an English changing room it was something normal.

"

Pique also admitted to trying similar pranks after moving back to Barcelona, per La Liga writer Andrew Gaffney:

Despite the harsh joke, Evra, 35, enjoyed the best years of his career with the Red Devils between 2006 and 2014, establishing himself as one of world's top left-backs as he won five Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League.

He has gone on to to win two Serie A titles with Juve, but he will be remembered predominantly for his time at Old Trafford.

Conversely, the bulk of what Pique has achieved has been at the Camp Nou with Barca. But clearly both players were influenced heavily by the time they spent in Manchester.