Manchester United legend Eric Cantona could not outsmart one of his former teammates when it came to a battle of the minds and was branded as “hopeless.”
Eric Cantona had a sensational impact during his time at Old Trafford after he was signed from Leeds United for a £1m transfer fee in 1992.
The 58-year-old Frenchman was a key figure under Sir Alex Ferguson in the 1990s and scooped up major silverware during his prolific Manchester United spell.
During his time at the Red Devils, Cantona lifted four Premier League titles and two League Cups under legendary former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Cantona made 185 appearances for United and the legendary former Red Devils No 7 scored an impressive 82 times for the Premier League club.
The eccentric French former forward stunned the whole world in 1997 when he announced his shock retirement from football at only the age of 30.
Cantona outclassed by Man Utd legend
Eric Cantona crossed paths with his fair share of Manchester United legends at Old Trafford, including Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and David Beckham.
However, the former France international met his match in one area when he crossed paths with former United teammate Denis Irwin.
Denis Irwin is widely regarded as one of the best Premier League left-backs of all time and enjoyed an illustrious United spell under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The 59-year-old Irishman was proficient on both flanks as a full-back and Irwin excelled from set-pieces like free-kicks and penalties.
Denis Irwin recently linked up with fellow United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane on The Overlap’s Stick to Football show.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, the former United defender opened up about his love for chess and he admitted that Cantona didn’t stand a chance against him.
“He [Cantona] was hopeless – or I was too good,” Irwin said.
“I went to a school that represented Munster at All-Ireland and we got beat in the final.
“I used to play chess regularly, even used to play chess against the computer back in the day.”
Irwin’s admiration for Man Utd legend Cantona
Denis Irwin, who arrived at United from Oldham Athletic in 1990, lifted seven Premier League titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups and a League Cup.
The United legend’s spell at Old Trafford came to an end in 2002 and Irwin went on to play for Wolves before he called it time on his prolific playing career in 2004.
Irwin admitted that he wished United had “more” time with Cantona and waxed lyrical about his ability as a “special player” on the pitch.
“Cantona would do that; he played in the little holes,” he told FourFourTwo magazine in 2021.
“He was big, strong, and suited the Premier League. He had pace as well, which people don’t always associate with him, and he could score goals.
“We had four and a half years with Eric. I wish it was more, as he was a special player.
“I’ve not seen a player like that before and neither had opponents. He was a catalyst for us and for United to become the club they are now.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/GbkWHOB