Eric Cantona's Biography

Eric Cantona was brought up just outside Marseilles.

His father was a psychiatric nurse and a painter from Sardinia.

His mother's family fought against Franco in the Spanish Civil War.

It is obvious from reading the autobiographies of Sir Alex Ferguson, David Beckham, and Roy Keane that Eric Cantona was incredibly popular at Manchester United, although he kept himself to himself.

Roy Keane says many revealing things in his autobiography about the enigmatic Frenchman, describing Cantona's scrapes with amongst others Peter Schmeichel.

Keane says of Eric Cantona: "Collar turned up, back straight, chest stuck out, he glided into the arena as if he owned the f**king place. Any arena, but nowhere more effectively than Old Trafford. This was his stage. He loved it, the crowd loved him. The players loved him too, for many reasons. Most importantly he got the job done."

Eric Cantona enjoyed great success at both Manchester United and Leeds, his previous club. Although, whilst at United he was suspended for delivering a 'kung fu' kick to a Crystal Palace supporter after he was sent off.

Cantona is also an artist and an actor and his most famous quote whilst he was still playing football was: "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in to the sea".

In 2005, Eric Cantona promoted beach football - having won the beach soccer world championship in Rio de Janeiro.

He compared the experience of winning beach soccer with winning actual soccer with Manchester United:

"Of course it is not as big as football but when you are a rich man you are proud to own a Rolls Royce and when you are a poor man you are proud to own a Renault."

Eric Cantona was involved in Nike's Joga Bonito campaign (the beautiful game).

In 2009, Eric Cantona acted as himself in Ken Loach's film Looking For Eric.

After Eric Cantona and his first wife, Isabelle, with whom he has two children, divorced, he married actress Rachida Brakni.

In January 2010, Cantona made his stage debut in Paris in Face au Paradis (Faced with Paradise) directed by his wife, Rachida Brakni.

In November 2010, Eric Cantona recommended a run on the cash reserves of the world's banks and spawned a new political movement.

In January 2011, Eric Cantona was appointed director of football at the New York Cosmos.

In 2020, Eric Cantona acted in the video for Liam Gallagher's track Once.