Back when i was a wee small sprog in the early 90's I was absolutely stark raving mad for football. I was about 8 years old in 1992 when I first came across the name Eric Cantona, this was actually before the glorious Manchester United days.
You see, between the ages of 5 or 6 and up to 13 i took football VERY seriously. I went to all of the Coventry City Home games when i lived half hour walk from our old Stadium, Highfield Road, some away games here and there also. That was when we were in the premier league you know, yes you read that right, Coventry City were a premier league team. I also played the game, at school we would buy those little soft balls filled with that cotton shit because we weren't allowed the big boys footy yet. We'd play matches every break, lunch and after school. I also played for the school team and went on to play some Sunday league in my home City. Before puberty i wasn't bad, after.. don't ask.
In my spare time, i'd be playing in my back garden with makeshift nets, i drew my own shirts to replicate the premier league teams for the one's i didn't have. Yeah i had a big collection of shirts handed down to me as i was far from a spoilt child.. Coventry, Man utd, Spurs, Southampton, Celtic, England and more. With the little money i'd save at birthdays i would buy those VHS tapes for almost every premier league team that reviewed their season and i religiously studied the game and the players. This is where and when i discovered the man himself, Eric Cantona. So i discovered Eric before Fergie did! i should of been a scout.
I had bought a VHS of Leeds united i think in 92, it was reviewing season 1991-92 which was the last season before the premier league came into existence. Back then the top tier in English football was simply called "Division 1". It wasn't until February of that season where Cantona made his debut in English football, albeit in a 2-0 defeat to Oldham Athletic (Yes, they were in the top division too) Leeds actually won the title in that last division 1 season.
Leeds signed Cantona from French side Nimes for a paltry £900,000. He only scored 3 goals in 15 appearances, but man was i impressed with his flair, skill and all round game as he set up so many goals in that first half season at Leeds.
Cantona's hat-trick for Leeds United against Liverpool in 1992 at the old Wembley.
The following season, the brand spanking new "Premier League" season that is, Cantona made 20 appearances and scored 11 goals but his performances were so good, that he had caught the eye of Alex Ferguson, Man Utd's greatest ever manager and possibly the greatest manager ever! So half way through the 92/93 premier league season, Fergie paid Leeds £1.2 million to land Cantona. What a bargain that would turn out be!
Cantona made his debut against Benfica in a friendly but his premier league debut came against arch rivals, Manchester City (who were nowhere near as good as they are now) he came on a substitute although he didn't really shine on his debut.
Cantona's first goal for his new club came against Chelsea in December of 1992 in a 1-1 draw. Cantona then began to develop a deadly partnership up front with fellow legend Mark Hughes who i will also do a post on one day. To me, this Utd was the greatest with the likes of Cantona, Hughes, Giggs, Kanchelskis, Ince, Roy Keane, Peter Schmeical.
On Cantona's infamous return to Leeds with Utd, he spat at a fan and was subsequently fined £1000. Controversy was never far away when it came to this man. But Man Utd only lost twice after Cantona's arrival and went on to win the first Premier League title ever!. The man played a huge part in recovering Utd's season to go on to glory.
In the 1993/94 season Man Utd won their second successive title and Cantona scored some spectacular goals notching a mammoth 25 in 49 appearances.
In 1994/95 season was when we saw the other side to the man, the infamous "Kung-fu" kick at Crystal Palace. That season outsiders Blackburn Rovers won the title with messers Sutton and Shearer (SAS) banging in a bucket load of goals between them to narrowly beat Utd to the title, it was a shock as Blackburn took the title from Utd on the final day of the season. Go and watch the end of that season with Utd at West Ham and Blackburn at Liverpool, absolute nail biting stuff and some legendary moments.
But, back to that kung fu kick and on January 25th 1995 at Selhurst Park, Cantona was sent off for kicking Palace defender Richard Shaw. Amidst angry protesting, Cantona then walks off in that manner he does, chest puffed out, confidence oozing.. but wait.. a palace fan by the name of Matthew Simmons had run down 11 rows of the stand just to hurl abuse at Cantona at the pitches edge, god only knows what was said to Eric but it must of been disgusting. Something snapped in Cantona as he ran towards Simmons and lunged at him in the crowd with a two legged kung fu kick and then threw some punches. I couldn't believe what i had witnessed, i was watching this live i'm sure. [See video below]
After that infamous incident, Cantona was banned from football for 8 or 9 months i think, he escaped a prison sentence but had to do 120 hours of community service. Cantona coached youngsters at Man Utd's training ground. He was fined £20,000 and lost the French national side's captaincy.
Cantona would not play again that season and Man Utd missed him as they lost the title to Blackburn. He would also never be seen playing for France again. But he sure as shit should of.
In the 1995/96 season, Cantona made his long awaited return to premier league action against Liverpool on October 1st 1995. That season Utd won the double (premier league and FA Cup) for the second time. Cantona scored the famous winner for Utd in the FA Cup Final. I'll never forget that goal. He ended the season with 19 goals in 38 appearances as Utd came back from the dead in the title race to beat Newcastle Utd (who's manager Kevin Keegan had lost it a bit in heated interviews after Fergie played him, Keegan and fergie had me in hysterics all season) probably the greatest title race i can remember, Newcastle were incredible, but just ran out of steam at end, i always thought because of Keegan's cockiness towards Fergie.
Did you know Cantona actually had a short trial for Sheffield Wednesday before he joined Leeds? here he is in a Wednesday shirt.
[image: owlstalk]
In the 1996/97 season Man Utd once again remained Premier League champions as Eric was captain for that season and he scored some beautiful goals again, the flair this man had has never been outclassed by any footballer ever. He scored 15 goals in 50 appearances.
Eric Cantona is an artist in the truest sense of the word. An exhibitionist and expressionist, he was good with words too. He liked to write poetry. The man who wore number 7 and made it his number for ever, the man who always wore his collar up and inspired me and whole generation with his passion, flair, skill, vision, confidence and all round ability with a football. He was also quick for a tall man. We'll never see another like him again, that is for sure.
Eric went on to become an actor and star in many movies, and also directing many other films as well. I think he was good at it and it just goes to show you what a talented all round artist the man is. Here is Eric playing himself in one of the best football movies. A film about a post man with many problems with life, family etc, who is obsessed with Eric Cantona and infinitely inspired by him, as i was. The movie was called "Looking For Eric" which came out in 2009. Check it out! it's a really good film.
The film "Looking For Eric"Thank you for all the great moments Eric, you inspired me to play football, and even though i was not born with much natural ability and wasn't that good a player, i will never forget watching you play and how you inspired me to try and to take the good from individuals who inspire, no matter who they are or what they do. And while football is just a game and there are more important things in life, I always found Eric Cantona to be a good archetype, even through his mistakes, because they teach you no man is perfect. It's how we learn from those mistakes that truly matter in the end.
For the youth, no matter what you want to become or if you aspire to something better, you wouldn't go wrong by looking to this man for inspiration and wisdom in life. Something you can't say about many a footballer in today's game.
Versus Wimbledon in FA Cup 1994
Eric's favorite moment can be seen in the movie clip of "Looking For Eric" further up. It was not a goal, but actually a pass. And the fact Denis Irwin rarely ever scored other than from penalties and free kicks shows just how unselfish he was and that he really trusted his team mates.
That was my little tribute to a man who is and was more than just an ex footballer.
Jon.
"Genius is about digging yourself out of the hole in which you sometimes find yourself"
"It's learning from your mistakes that makes you succeed"
Eric Cantona, 1994.
