Eric Cantona the former French football captain was born in Paris on24/5/1966.In France he played for a few clubs like Bordeaux , and Olympique Marseaille.He then came to play for the English Club Leeds United. He was a very hot headed player on and off the pitch . The Leeds coach was trying to buy the defender fro Manchester United but was told Irwin was not for sale and as the Leeds coach had enough of Cantona , he was sold to Manchester United for a small sum of 1.2 million pounds a record at that time.Cometh the hour cometh the man for Manchester United who awoke the the sleeping beauty from her long slumber . Because it was twenty six years since Manchester United had won the E.P.L cup . Cantona and Ferguson changed all that. They won their double , both the Premiere league and the F.A.cup. It was Cantona who tought the young players such as Giggs, Paul Scholes, Philip Neville, Gary Neville, David Bechem, and Nicky Butt, how to play and have a desire to win.
But as usual Cantona was never far from trouble. He did a king foo kick at a spectator over something he said as the man was a Crystal Palace fan. He had to do 120 hours community service and banned from playing till 1995.Manchester United won the double in 1996 he won the F.A.cup single handedly verses Liverpool scoring the winner.
When Michel Platini was coach of France he made Cantona the captain along with David Ginola, the great dribler. But as France faild to qualify Platini resigned then Gerard Houlier took over, butwhen failed to qualify for the 1994 world cup he was sacked and Amie Jacquet took over and Cantona and Ginola never ever played for France Jacquet had other ideas and chose Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane to replace them , not a bad choice I must say.
Cantona had once called each and every French football board member as idiots he lost the captaincy and was banned for a while.
He loved Manchester Unted and the fans, the fansloved him in return and lovingly call him to this day as King Eric. How he loved Manchester can clearly be seen .
When the Glazer family came down from the U.S.A. to buy Manchester United Cantona angrily told the Glazers (Go back to the U.S.A. you Glazers and buy the Coco Cola company leave your hands of Manchester United . There was a talk that Eric Cantona would one day succeed Alex Ferguson as Manchester s coach angrily he replied not as those Glazers own Manchester United . WE must note with pride that Cantona is French and not English . Still the love for the club that gave him fame and wealth he has not forgotten.
It is said that 1.2 million purchase ofCantona was the biggest bargain in E.P.L History.
The Press was always around Cantona for they knew with Cantona news was not far of.
He made this statement once When the seagulls fly over the trawler they know sardines will be thrown overboard.
In 1997 he threw a bombshell by announcing his retirement from football and joining movies.
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