Patrice Evra has announced the death of his mother, Juliette, posting a short video in which he sings a tribute song and visibly struggles to hold back tears.
Evra, 45, chose the French hip-hop track “Avant qu’elle parte”, whose title translates as “Before she goes”, by the Paris group Sexion d’Assaut. His mother had been living with Alzheimer’s disease.
“I lost my rock, but I’m trying to stay positive,” the former Manchester United captain tells the camera. “People ask me every time if I’m always happy.”
He uses the rest of the clip to turn his grief outward.
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“And now all the people that have still got their mum, even if the death doesn’t stop the love, just tell them you love them every single day, before they leave.”
The post’s caption pays tribute to a lifelong bond.
“Even when the whole world is against you, she will always be your best friend. A mother’s love is forever, no matter what happens in life. Rest in peace, Maman. You will always be in my heart.”
The one-shoe tribute
Fans who follow Evra’s social media had already been given a quiet clue to his mother’s health. In many of his videos the 45-year-old appears with his left foot bare, a detail he had never fully explained until recently.
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Juliette lost her left leg after being rushed to hospital in 2010, while her son was away with the France squad.
“Every time I do a video and I’m not wearing the left shoes, I dedicate all my videos to my mum,” Evra has said of the gesture.
That small signal, hidden inside posts that often look at first glance like comedy skits, had been running quietly through his feed for years.
A second family loss inside two years
The announcement follows another bereavement for the former France captain. In May 2025, Evra pulled out of a planned appearance around the Europa League final to attend his sister’s funeral in Paris after her 20-year battle with cancer.
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“She was 56, fighting against cancer for 20 years,” Evra said in a video message sent to the Manchester United squad before the final. “Resilience, fighting, that’s what I want from you guys tomorrow.”
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