Alex Ferguson: Patrice Evra details Man Utd legend's team-talk before 2008 UCL final | OneFootball

Patrice Evra has recalled Sir Alex Ferguson’s powerful team-talk before the 2008 Champions League final.

Manchester United reached the last two after victories against Lyon, Roma and Barcelona in the knockout rounds.

Their opponents in the final were Premier League rivals, Chelsea.

United went on to win the game in Moscow in dramatic fashion.

Cristiano Ronaldo gave United the lead in the 26th minute with a thumping header, only for Frank Lampard to restore parity on the stroke of half-time.

There were no further goals as the game went all the way to penalties.

John Terry had the chance to win it in the shootout but he slipped at the vital moment and his spot-kick hit the post and went wide.

A few penalties later, Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicholas Anelka and United were crowned champions of Europe for the third time in their history.

Evra has recently detailed Ferguson’s team-talk prior to the match in an appearance on a TV show in Ghana.

And it really is brilliant. View it below…

After asked to recall Ferguson’s most memorable half-time team-talk, Evra replied: “It was not at half-time… it was before the 2008 Champions League final.

“I remember he looked at all of us and said ‘We’ve already won. We don’t even need to go outside. Look at you. So many different nationalities. Korean, Argentinian, Brazilian, French, English, Spanish, Polish… I won. To see all those different nationalities… I won.’

“He started talking about history. Imagine the mother of Patrice Evra. She had to feed all her 25 kids. Imagine Carlos Tevez growing up in Buenos Ares. Anderson growing up in the favelas. He told all her stories.

“We started to have goosebumps. He didn’t talk about football. he talked about our lives.

“When we got ouf of the dressing room, we were like warriors. We were ready to die. That is the best speech he ever gave when I was at Man United.”

Ferguson’s man management was really something else.

He knew exactly how to motivate his players and that heavily contributed to the great success he had as a manager.