Patrice Evra is raring to go ahead of his boxing debut after agreeing to fight YouTube star Adam Saleh next month.
The former Manchester United and France defender Evra will fight Saleh on the undercard of Martyn Ford's fight with Iranian Hulk - real name Sajad Gharibi - on April 30. Saleh has fought three times on YouTube boxing cards before, winning twice and drawing once.
The 40-year-old, who made 379 appearances for United, retired from football in 2019. Evra played for Juventus and Marseille after leaving Old Trafford and finished his career with a brief stint at West Ham. He also tallied 81 caps for his country.
Evra confirmed his fight with Saleh after promising fans the fight was "about to be wild" during an Instagram live. He is looking forward to training for the fight and hopes to show respect to the sport in his performance against Saleh.
"I'm really excited to participate for the first time ever in my life in a boxing match, Evra said. "Because I always had so much respect for people boxing. It is not just about power and strength, it is also about strategy and technique - It's like a chess game.
"What I am the most excited for is the training technique, because the way they train is completely different to how football players train. I am really excited to work hard, to challenge myself, and to get out of my comfort zone. It is a massive opportunity for me.
"Of course, I want to have fun, like with everything I do, but I also want to make sure I show that I respect this sport.”
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Evra's opponent Saleh, who is of Yemeni descent, is a big social media star in the Middle East. His two latest fights in Dubai have attracted a big crowds, defeating Anas ElShayib at Social Knockout 2 in his most recent bout.
The undercard of Ford vs Gharibi will include several celebrities, such as Love Island stars Jack Fincham and Theo Campbell. Evra isn't the only ex-footballer on the card, as former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O'Hara will fight Kris Boyson.
Ford, who is also known as the 'World's Scariest Man', was supposed to fight Gharibi on April 2 but the card was pushed back due to injuries to several fighters on the undercard. The pair got into an altercation in Dubai last month when facing off for the first time ahead of their grudge fight.
