What's the story?
Manchester United have had many foreign imports who made a huge contribution to the club's trophy-laden era. One player who achieved a cult status at Old Trafford and is considered as one of the best Manchester United players of all time was Eric Cantona.
The Frenchman arrived from Leeds and made a big impact during his five-year stint with the Red Devils. However, a new report has emerged which might not go down well with the self-obsessed striker with Mirror recently reporting that Sir Alex Ferguson was relieved when Eric Cantona retired in 1997.
In case you didn't know...
Eric Cantona arrived in England at Leeds United in 1991 and won the First Division title with them. His bad attitude saw him being sold to Manchester United after just one season which proved to be a masterstroke by Ferguson.
Cantona won six major trophies during his five-year spell at Old Trafford which included four Premier League titles. Along with the trophies, Cantona also holds the record of being the first player to score a hattrick in the Premier League.
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The heart of the matter
The Mirror journalist, David Walker revealed that when Sir Alex Ferguson was asked about the luckiest break of his career, the Scotsman replied, "The day Eric walked into my office to retire." At the age of 31, Ferguson had realised that Cantona was not at the peak of his powers but his popularity with the United faithful meant that it was difficult to put him on the bench.
The Frenchman's past reflected that he always left his previous club in a bitter way and Ferguson wanted to avoid that so when Cantona decided to call it a day, Sir Alex was secretly happy that the 31 year old would leave Old Trafford with his legacy intact.
What's next?
This revelation comes after 25 years since Cantona stepped foot on English soil and is often considered as one of the best players ever to grace the Premier League. Along with the league crowns, he won two FA Cups and three Community Shields. He helped United win a league title after 26 long years in 1993 which turned him into the 'King of Manchester'.
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Sportskeeda's take
His actions on the field and his outspokenness off it have been Cantona's characteristics. A reply is expected to come from the Frenchman when he gets to know of Ferguson being glad when the striker announced his retirement.
