The 40-year-old detailed the harrowing experience in his upcoming autobiography titled ‘I Love This Game’.
Evra is widely recognised as one of the greatest left backs in Premier League history, cementing legendary status at Manchester United, where he played for eight-and-a-half seasons.
Evra won five Premier League titles at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, and also added the 2008 UEFA Champions League to his impressive trophy haul at the club.
"When I first did the book, I didn't tell the whole story because I was still ashamed and scared about what people will think," Evra said.
"Now I want to say it because I don't want kids to be in my situation and they are ashamed of themselves, thinking they are not brave because it's not about being brave, it's about being mentally ready to talk about it.
"So I just want to make sure kids out there have the courage and do not blame themselves, because I always blamed myself.
"I'm not shy to say I felt like a coward for many years because I never speak up. It was something heavy in my chest. But I don't do it for me, I do it for other children."
"Living with that was one of my biggest regrets because I could have helped so many people," he added.
The former France international, who won 81 caps for his country, left Old Trafford for Juventus in the summer of 2014, winning two Serie A titles before leaving for Olympique Marseille.
Evra’s time in his home country ended in disappointment after just 10 months when he was dismissed by Marseille for kicking a fan in the dead during the warm-up for a Europa League game.
Evra played in five Champions League finals during his career; three times with Manchester United and one apiece for AS Monaco in 2004 and Juventus in 2015.
