Our first clue was of Patrice Evra, who is allergic to eggs, but never knew it until he signed for the Italian side, Juventus, in 2014. Before that, whilst playing at Manchester United, he had lived with frequent nausea, but egg allergy had never been suspected or tested for.
Eggs are one of the most common allergies, and it is from the protein found in both the whites and the yolks. In addition, it is often present from birth, or young childhood, and it can cause many symptoms, from rashes and nausea, right up to anaphylaxis, which s when it affects breathing and the throat, which is often accompanied by a quick drop in blood pressure, giving dizziness or fainting fits
Patrice Latyr Evra, and he was born on May the 15th 1981 in Dakar, Senegal, where his father was a diplomat. However, when our man was a year old, the family moved back to France
We are not sure when he started with them, but his first team was Club Omnisports des Ulis of Paris. He was then signed by Paris St, Germain, on the understanding that he changed position, and became a winger. However he seems not to have suited that role and was released from the contract .He was then spotted at a local five a side tournament by an Italian talent scout, who got him a spot on the youth team at Torino F.C in Turin, and this led to another offer from the Assocazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Marsala 1912, in Sicily. They gave him his first professional contract, aged seventeen, but he was only at the club one season before being transferred to Associazione Calcio Monza.
A year after that saw him back in France, at the Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice, on the understanding that he again shifted position, and became a full back. It is generally regarded that during this time his "rookie" card was issued, though it is a Panini Sticker, number 444 of the series of "Foot 2002", only issued in France in 2001-2. and he is one of four men on a quartered card, namely Serge Ayeli, Patrice Evra, Christophe Meslin and Janick Tamazout, all of whom played for OGCN.
However, whilst the set was still being circulated, in 2002, he left and joined the Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club, but once more had to move position, and play as a left-back. However, in that place he really seemed to make his mark, and was even selected to be in the squad for the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final. And he appeared on card 135 of Panini`s "Derby Total 2004-2005"
All that brought him to the attention of Manchester United, who signed him in January 2006. He liked the idea of playing for them straight off, though he had other offers, but he admitted that he found the English game very different to the European one, and there was also a lot more competition for a spot on the team, so he was frequently benched, or substituted mid-game. The turning point there came after he scored his first goal, in November 2006, after which he seemed to get more playing time. And it is in this period that the bulk of his cards and stickers were issued
In July 2014, and rather surprisingly, he returned to Italy, and joined Juventus, where he stayed for just over two years. It appears his first card there was card 146 of Panini`s "Adrenalyn XL UEFA Champions League, issued in 2014-15.
Then he joined Marseille, on a free transfer, but that did not work out too well and in February 2018 he signed for West Ham United, but only played in five games before he announced his retirement in July 2019.
After that he retrained as a coach, and did have a placement at Manchester United, but that seemed to peter out. He commentated on a few football matches, and was considering having a go at Mixed Martial Arts. And that seems a familiar story, for after being a top footballer, when the time comes to stop, there is not really a viable alternative. You are just abandoned, to your fate.
The first "Match Attax" trading card game cards appeared in 2006. Through the years little extras crept in, and by the time of our set you could expect to also collect a promotional "Master" card, plus four insert sets ("Club Badges", "Golden Moments", "Limited Edition", and "Limited Edition Autographs"), and single cards for "Regional Heats" and, "Regional Finals", which could only be marked up by official Match Attax Referees, presumably at a grand tournament, and a "Regional Champion" card, presumably only given to the outright winner.