Patrice Evra says that former Manchester United teammate Anderson sent a statement of intent with his display against Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
Sir Alex Ferguson brought ex-Manchester United midfielder Anderson to the Premier League club in the same 2007 window alongside Nani and Owen Hargreaves.
United landed Anderson from Portuguese side Porto in a deal worth £26m and the 37-year-old Brazilian played sporadically under Sir Alex Ferguson at the club.
Anderson continued playing for the Red Devils after Ferguson retired as Man Utd manager in 2013 and made 181 appearances in total for the Red Devils.
READ MORE: ‘Ticking those boxes’: Rio Ferdinand explains why Elliot Anderson fits Man Utd better than Bruno Guimaraes
Manchester United legend Patrice Evra during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco in 2025 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
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Patrice Evra on what he saw from Anderson first-hand before the former Man Utd midfielder’s impact against Steven Gerrard
Former Manchester United and Brazil midfielder Anderson netted eight times and registered 20 assists for the Red Devils amid his hit-and-miss spell at Old Trafford.
The ex-Porto and Adana Demirspor player could impress at times for the Red Devils, but Anderson lacked consistency under former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Speaking to the Chinese YouTube channel ‘Shoot for Love,’ Patrice Evra was left in awe at what he saw first-hand playing alongside Anderson at the Red Devils.
The 44-year-old United legend defended Anderson from criticism and said that a “bad injury” prevented him from hitting the levels that he could have done.
“What an amazing player,” Evra explained.
“Amazing technique. I think people have been harsh on him, but when he was young, before he had like a bad injury, he was one of the best young Brazilian players.”
READ MORE: Why Rio Ferdinand thinks Matthijs de Ligt’s back injury has made him miss 22 Man Utd matches in row now
Can you recall the player who scored two goals for Man Utd, including in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final match?
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Patrice Evra recalls Anderson’s Man Utd display against Steven Gerrard in a 2007 match against Liverpool
Anderson crossed paths with Steven Gerrard as a Man Utd player in December 2007 and the former Brazil international impressed against the Liverpool icon on the day.
Evra insisted that Anderson’s performance against former England captain Gerrard was the moment he turned the heads of United fans for all of the right reasons.
“The first time he played against Gerrard, I remember that’s when the United fans, they respect him a lot,” he added.
Anderson lifted four Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and a League Cup with Man Utd before he left Old Trafford and signed for Internacional in 2015.
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