The glorious and revolting greatness of Eric Cantona

Legendary French forward Eric Cantona’s move to England wasn’t facilitated by a desire to move his career to the next level, to spark an international revolution in the 4-4-2 Barclays Premier League nineties, and to join Sir Alex Ferguson in the complete, revolutionary overhaul of British football via Manchester United.

No. It started in the most stereotypical French way possible—with a recommendation from his shrink in 1991. “He advised me not to sign for Marseilles and recommended that I should go to England,” Cantona said two years later.

Cantona’s temper had led to some memorable incidents in France, including punching a teammate in the face while playing for Auxerre, taking his shirt off and throwing it away after getting subbed off in a match for Marseille, whipping the ball at a referee while playing a match for Nimes and, in the subsequent French Football Federation disciplinary hearing, calling each committee member an idiot to their faces.

England was supposed to be a fresh start, but it was far more therapeutic for English football than for Cantona. The French striker eased the English game into the brave new world of the post-Bosman ruling, FA Premier League polyglot future. It’s still remarkable watching his second goal for Man United, and hearing the commentator intone “Ooh la la!”, as if a French player in the English first division was still something of a novelty.

Yes, he was a footballing star—Cantona would go on to become the Premier League Overseas Player of the Decade, scoring 82 goals for Manchester United and helping United to win four Premier League trophies and two FA Cups between 1992 and 1997.  

But he was also uniquely, relentlessly Cantona, both foreign and familiar, capable of sublime, poetic beauty and shocking violence. After kung-fu kicking a verbally abusive Crystal Palace fan in the 1994-95 season, Cantona was sentenced to two weeks in prison for assault. At a press conference after the incident, he said slowly, and bitterly: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much,” before getting up to leave.

And what sardines! Including several goals that still regularly feature in Premier League all-time highlight reels. Nearly twenty years on, Cantona’s lob against Sunderland summed up everything about the player—a sublime moment after a relative lull, a celebration that let the goal speak for itself.  

A foreign player who has since become synonymous with the English top flight—Cantona was a pioneer. Those after him trawled in his wake.