Patrice Evra is such a hero in the eyes of the Manchester United supporters thanks not only to his playing ability - although he was arguably the world’s best left-back at his peak - but also because of his infectious personality and genuine love for the club.

The France international put his heart and soul into the club from the moment he arrived from AS Monaco in 2006 - and United fans loved him for it.

It was no surprise that the Old Trafford faithful were genuinely disappointed when it was announced that Evra had been denied a dream return to United last month. He ended up at Marseille instead, even though he made no secret of his desire to come back to Manchester.

“I have nothing to hide,” Evra told beIN Sports after confirming he tried to re-sign for the Red Devils. “Jose Mourinho was okay to that but somebody was a little bit unsure about my return at home.

“So after I know Manchester was closed, I opened up every other door and there were a lot of clubs [interested]. But when Marseille came [in], I chose Marseille straight away.”

But despite being denied a fairytale return, Evra will always cherish his memories as a Manchester United player.

Evra: Liverpool was like no other fixture

And there was one fixture he relished playing in more than any other.

Asked if matches against Liverpool were ‘just three points’ like every other game, Evra laughed and then said: “No! It’s something special.

“I hate to play against Liverpool, it’s a bad feeling. When you lose at Anfield, I promise you the rest of the week is going to be bad.”

Evra: What Fergie would do if we lost to Liverpool

Evra then went on to reveal how Sir Alex Ferguson would react if United ever lost to their fierce domestic rivals.

“Ferguson, if you lose against Liverpool, you don’t see him for one week,” Evra added. “For one week he won’t even shake your hand, so deeply hurt he [would] be.”

Video: Evra on Liverpool and Fergie

This is well worth a watch...

This is part of what made Fergie, Fergie. He was a ferocious competition who absolutely hated losing.

Evra will always have huge respect for Ferguson

But despite Ferguson’s foul moods after losing to Liverpool, Evra holds no grudges against his former boss. In fact, his admiration for the legendary Scot could hardly be higher.

After leaving United for Juventus in the summer of 2014, the left-back reserved special praise for the man he still refers to as ‘the boss’.

“An immense thank you to Sir Alex Ferguson for making it all possible,” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail, “for giving me the privilege to be a captain, to be inspired by the legend of Manchester United and to understand that nobody is bigger than the club.”