On this day in 2006, Patrice Evra arrived in England to launch a hugely successful eight-and-a-half-year spell with Manchester United.

The Red Devils paid Monaco £5.5million for the then 24-year-old full-back as manager Sir Alex Ferguson looked to strengthen his resources after Gabriel Heinze had suffered a cruciate ligament injury.

Ferguson said at the time: "Patrice is a good age and is still developing as a player, which is always exciting.

"We have been monitoring him all season and it is fantastic that he is joining Manchester United."

United were ultimately rewarded handsomely for their investment.

Evra made his debut in a 3-1 derby defeat at Manchester City on January 14, 2006 and in all made almost 400 appearances for the club, winning five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup along the way.

His departure for Juventus in July 2014 just two months after signing a new one-year contract, and with Luke Shaw having arrived in a big money move from Southampton, however, came under something of a cloud amid claims of broken promises.

The defender believed he had a gentlemen's agreement with chief executive Ed Woodward that he could leave the club for family reasons, only for United to announce they had taken up a one-year option on his contract.

He said: "I called Ed and swore on the phone, even threatened him. He said I couldn't talk to the director of football like that and that he was going to fine me."

Evra went on to win two Serie A titles in two and a half seasons in Italy and had brief spells with Marseille and West Ham before calling time on a career which also brought him 81 international caps for France.