Evra is Manchester United’s player of the season, insists Irwin

MANCHESTER UNITED legend Denis Irwin has hailed Patrice Evra as the world’s best left-back.

Irwin should know a thing or two about the position, having played there in the 1999 Champions League final, one of his 529 appearances in a 12-year stint with the Old Trafford outfit.

And, whilst he accepts there is competition, particularly from Ashley Cole, Irwin has no doubt Evra is currently the best at his art.

“Patrice is the number one,” said Irwin. “Ashley Cole has improved an awful lot this season. But Patrice has come on a lot too and this year has been his best.”

In fact, so effective has Evra been, during a period when he was the only regular member of United’s back four to remain injury-free, Irwin feels he edges Wayne Rooney as United’s player of the season.

“Wayne Rooney has been tremendous, particularly over the past three months,” said Irwin. “But Patrice Evra has been every bit as good. He has been very consistent at a really high level. Regardless of what Wayne has done, Patrice has been our player of the season. Unfortunately for full-backs, centre-forwards get all the glory because they score goals.”

“Patrice arrived in a January, at the same time as Nemanja Vidic, and they both struggled,” recalled Irwin.

“The Premier League was totally different to the league he was playing in. It is a different culture, different weather, different everything. You have to get used to all that. But since that first couple of games he has come on leaps and bounds. He always looked good going forward but defensively Patrice has improved an awful lot.”

Owen Hargreaves, meanwhile, took his first tentative steps towards reviving his Manchester United career at Altrincham last night.

There were no meaty challenges during United’s reserve-team encounter with Burnley, or many trademark bursts of acceleration. But just to get through 45 minutes of football after 18 months on the sidelines was a welcome relief for the 29-year-old.

Meanwhile Barcelona sporting director Txiki Begiristain has singled out United as the team to avoid ahead of today’s draw for the Champions League quarter-finals.

“We are strong and if we want to be champions we have to beat everyone,” he said. “I would prefer to avoid Manchester United. I would not like to meet the club who were our opponents in the final last season, because of the motivation they could have.”