Eric Cantona acted “like The King” and had a “big smirk on his face” after the Manchester United legend left the whole room in stitches.
The 58-year-old Frenchman is widely regarded as one of the best Premier League players of all time after his seminal impact at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson brought Eric Cantona to Manchester United in 1992 after signing him from rivals Leeds United for a £1m transfer fee.
During his remarkable spell at the Premier League club, Eric Cantona was a pivotal figure for Sir Alex Ferguson in the 1990s and a larger-than-life figure at United.
Cantona lifted four Premier League titles and two FA Cups with United and the French former forward made 185 appearances for the club.
One of United’s legendary No 7s, Cantona stunned the whole football world in 1997 after he announced his unexpected retirement at the age of 30.
The United legend never returned to professional football as a player after his Old Trafford exit, with Cantona pursuing other passions like music and acting.
Cantona’s response to iconic Man Utd moment
A defining moment in the Manchester United career of Eric Cantona was the former France international’s infamous ‘kung-fu kick’ on a Crystal Palace fan.
Cantona was sent off in a United match against Crystal Palace in 1995 after a tackle on former defender Richard Shaw.
However, the ex-United and France forward then aimed a kung-fu kick at a Crystal Palace fan, Matthew Simmons, as he was marching towards the tunnel.
Cantona was believed to have been heckled by the Palace fan and the Frenchman’s actions caused controversy around the world.
The United legend was hit with a £20,000 fine from the Red Devils and a further £10,000 fine from the Football Association (FA) for the infamous incident.
Cantona was also handed down a nine-month ban from football and missed the remainder of the season for United before returning in the 1995-96 campaign.
Geoff Twentyman told TribalFootball about the time that Cantona was asked if he had “any regrets” about the kung-fu kick incident in his United career.
According to Twentyman, Cantona said with “impeccable timing” that he should “have killed” the Palace supporter and the whole room “exploded into laughter.”
“There were children, teenagers, mums, dads, all kinds of ages, eyes popping out of their heads, mouths ajar, Eric just had them on every syllable,” he said.
“So, I get to my big question; ‘Eric, let’s go back to Selhurst Park and kicking Matthew Simmons. Do you have any regrets?’
“With impeccable timing, Cantona just paused before saying; ‘Yes. I should have killed him,’ and the whole room just exploded into laughter and he sat with a big smirk on his face like The King.”
Gary Pallister on Man Utd legend Cantona
United legend Gary Pallister admitted that Cantona became a “target” for fans in England and the abuse that the Frenchman received was “terrible.”
“Eric was always the number one target for supporters around the country,” he said, as per BBC Sport in 2017.
“It wasn’t just players who tried to wind him up but fans felt as though they could do it as well. Some of the abuse he got was terrible.
“Eventually it took its toll on him I think and it all came to a head that night. He was such a hate figure because he was such a good player.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/fUVCrJ5