Man Utd full-back quits drinking Sprite to avoid its green label

Patrice Evra has revealed he is sick of the colour green as he prepares for France’s World Cup play-off clashes with the Republic of Ireland. The left back suspects his team-mates have adapted their wardrobes to keep him under pressure. And he has stopped drinking Sprite as a result of the green phobia!

He said: “I’ve had the impression for days that certain people have been wearing green on purpose. Maybe that’s just my imagination.

“But the other day I opened a can of Sprite, took a good look at it and decided I had to swap it for another drink. The moment I see anything green I think about the Republic of Ireland.”

Even Evra’s non-Irish team-mates are getting in on the act.

He added: “I have had the mickey taken out of me a lot. It’s normal, as when England failed to make Euro 2008 I asked my English team-mates if they wanted a remote control to switch between games on TV.

“Now it’s started once more. Darren Fletcher, who plays for Scotland, tells me we’ll spend the summer together.”