Manchester United captain Patrice Evra admits the past season has been his most difficult - on and off the pitch.

Evra was made club captain following the knee injury suffered by Nemanja Vidic.

"There were a lot of difficult moments," he told manutd.com. "Before the game against Manchester City in October my dad called me to tell me I'd just lost my brother. Nothing else can be more difficult than that to find out before a big game. There was the case with Luis Suarez as well.

"I know that's not the way a Manchester United player should talk when you don't win the league. It sounds like I'm finding an excuse. But it's the truth. I don't want to lie to people. This year has been so difficult."