Eric Cantona

Where is Eric Cantona now?

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona retired from professional football in 1997 aged just 30 after five successful years at Old Trafford.

Starting his professional career in 1983 with Auxerre, he went onto make 439 first-team appearances for eight teams including United where he was an integral part of the resurgence of Alex Ferguson’s side in the early 1990’s winning four Premier League titles and two FA Cups during his time at Old Trafford.

During this period he also won the PFA Player’s Player of the Year award and Footballer of the Year.

His skills on the field were not the only reason that he was making headlines during his time at United with disciplinary an issue. This came to a head in 1995 when he aimed a kung-fu kick at a fan during a game at Crystal Palace which resulted in an eight month ban from football.

At the press conference after the incident he delivered one of the most famous football quotes of all time, “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much”.

However, he also showed a compassionate side to his character which was referred to in Roy Keane‘s 2014 book The Second Half where he recalled the time that Cantona gave young players Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes £8,000 each after he won £16,000 in an end of season lottery.

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After quitting the 11-a-side game he started a new career in beach football where he captained and also managed the French international side until 2011 winning the FIFA Beach Soccer Tournament in Brazil in 2005.

Returning to the traditional format of the game later that year, he joined the newly reformed New York Cosmos as director of football but was sacked 18 months later after an altercation with a photographer.

Away from football he has pursued a career in the film industry and has made a documentary called Football and Immigration – 100 years of Common History as well as acting in a number of international films.

He has also worked as a brand ambassador of French lager brand Kronenbourg 1664 and has appeared in their UK television adverts.

Now residing with his family in Portugal, Cantona has started a new career as a singer and embarked on a a UK and Ireland tour in 2023 followed by a live album called Cantona Sings Éric – First Tour Ever which was released in 2024.

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Eric Cantona: Premier League Statistics

NationalityFrench
PositionForward
Appearances156
Goals70
Yellow Cards15
Red Cards3
Premier League Teams Played forLeeds United, Manchester United

Statistics courtesy of www.premierleague.com

Last Updated on 25 February 2024 by Admin