Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona (born May 24, 1966 in Marseille) is a French former footballer of the 1990s. He ended his professional footballing career at Manchester United where he won four Premiership titles in five years, including two league and FA Cup "doubles". Cantona is often regarded as having played a major talismanic role in the revival of Manchester United as a footballing powerhouse and he enjoys iconic status at the club. In 2001 he was voted their player of the century, and to this day United fans refer to him as "The King".

Cantona then became infamous for an incident that occurred on 25 January 1995. In an away match against Crystal Palace, after being sent off by the referee for a vengeful kick on Palace defender Richard Shaw, (after Shaw had pulled his shirt) he launched a 'kung-fu' style kick against an allegedly abusive Crystal Palace fan, Matthew Simmons. At a press conference called later, Cantona gave what is perhaps his most famous quote. As the journalists gathered to hear him speak, Cantona entered the room, sat down and said, in a slow and deliberate manner: "When the Seagulls... follow the trawlers... it's because they think... Sardines will be thrown into the Sea". He then got up from his seat and left, leaving many of the assembled crowd bemused. He was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after an appeal court overturned a 2 week prison sentence for assault. He was also suspended by The Football Association until the following October. Manchester United eventually lost the Premiership title to Blackburn.

There had been much speculation that Cantona would leave English football when his ban finished, but Alex Ferguson persuaded him to stay in Manchester and Cantona was once again inspirational. United had sold several key players at the start of the season and replaced them with players from the club's youth team and, as in 1992-93, their prospects of winning the league were not looking good. After Ryan Giggs (the one player Cantona claimed had a telepathic understanding with him) had been upended, Cantona scored a penalty against Liverpool in his first game after the ban, and his goals helped United to recapture the league having been twelve points behind Newcastle United in January 1996, virtually going on a one man crusade for the championship title at several important junctures. Often, it would be a spate of 1-0 wins for United with Cantona the goal scorer. Fittingly, he also scored the same 1-0 winning goal in that year's F.A. Cup Final, scoring in his last game of the season against the team he played against in his first game of the season, Liverpool . His redemption was complete after the scandals and lows of a year earlier. Cantona gave a post-match interview saying: "You know that's life. Up and down." Manchester United were the first team to win "the double" twice.


Eric Cantona Quotes:

"Sometimes in life one experiences an emotion which is so strong that it is difficult to think, or to reason. Sometimes you get submerged by emotion. I think it's very important to express it - which doesn't necessarily mean hitting someone. I am very mistrustful of people who are constantly overintellectualising things. It kills passion. You have to allow yourself to lose control from time to time."

"After his first training session in heaven, George Best, from his favourite right wing, turned the head of God who was filling in at left-back. I would love him to save me a place in his team - George Best that is, not God."

George Best on Cantona:

"I'd give all the champagne I've ever drunk to be playing alongside him in a big European match at Old Trafford." (George Best, 1960s Manchester United legend, pays a fine compliment to Eric)

Roy Keane on Eric Cantona:

"Collar turned up, back straight, chest stuck out, he glided into the arena as if he owned the fucking place. Any arena, but nowhere more effectively than Old Trafford. This was his stage. He loved it, the crowd loved him" (Roy Keane, Cantona's successor as Manchester United captain.)