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Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona Cannes 2009.jpg
Cantona in 2009
Born
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona

(1966-05-24) 24 May 1966 (age 59)
Marseille, France
Occupation
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Spouse(s)
Isabelle Ferrer
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 2003)​
Rachida Brakni
​
(m. 2007)​
Children 4
Eric Cantona
Personal information
Playing position Forward
Youth career
1980–1981 SO Les Caillols
1981–1983 Auxerre
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1983–1988 Auxerre 82 (23)
1985–1986 → Martigues (loan) 15 (4)
1988–1991 Marseille 40 (13)
1989 → Bordeaux (loan) 11 (6)
1989–1990 → Montpellier (loan) 33 (10)
1991–1992 Nîmes 16 (2)
1992 → Leeds United (loan) 11 (3)
1992 Leeds United 17 (6)
1992–1997 Manchester United 143 (64)
Total 368 (131)
National team
France U17
France U21
1987–1995 France 45 (20)
1997–2006 France (beach)
Teams managed
1997–2011 France (beach)
2011–2012 New York Cosmos (director of soccer)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a famous French actor and former professional footballer. He was born on May 24, 1966, in Marseille, France.

Cantona was a strong and creative player. He could score goals and help his teammates score too. He often played as a deep-lying forward, which means he played just behind the main striker. In 2004, the legendary footballer Pelé named him one of the world's greatest living players.

He played for many clubs in France, including Marseille. He then moved to England, playing for Leeds United and later Manchester United. With Manchester United, he won four Premier League titles in five years. Fans at Manchester United lovingly called him "King Eric." He was known for his unique style, often playing with his collar turned up.

Eric Cantona won league championships in both England and France. He won a trophy in eight of his last nine seasons as a professional player. For the French national team, he scored 20 goals in 45 matches. He was even made captain of the national team.

In 2003, Manchester United's magazine, Inside United, voted Cantona as the club's greatest player ever. He was one of the first players to join the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. He was also named the "Overseas Player of the Decade" for the Premier League in 2003. In 2021, he was added to the Premier League Hall of Fame.

In 1997, Cantona surprised everyone by retiring from football at just 30 years old. After football, he started a career in acting. He appeared in films like Elizabeth (1998) and Looking for Eric (2009). He also became involved in beach soccer, leading the France national beach soccer team to win the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

Early Life and Family

Eric Cantona was born in Marseille, France. His mother, Éléonore Raurich, was a dressmaker from Spain. His father, Albert Cantona, was a nurse and a painter. Eric's paternal grandfather came from Sardinia, Italy.

His maternal grandfather, Pere Raurich, moved to France from Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. The Cantona family lived in a house built near a cave in the hills of Marseille. Eric has two brothers, Jean-Marie and Joël.

Football Journey

Starting Out in France

Cantona began his football journey with his local team, SO Caillolais. He first played as a goalkeeper, but soon started playing more often as a forward. He played over 200 matches for his youth team.

His first professional club was Auxerre. He joined their youth team for two years. He made his first team debut in 1983. In 1984, he took a break for national service. After returning, he was loaned to Martigues before signing a professional contract with Auxerre in 1986.

Cantona was part of the France under-21 team that won the 1988 U21 European Championship. He scored three goals in a quarter-final match against England. Soon after, he moved to Marseille, the club he supported as a child.

Challenges and Loans

At Marseille, Cantona sometimes had disagreements with coaches and teammates. He was loaned to Bordeaux for six months. Then he went to Montpellier for a year. At Montpellier, he had a disagreement with a teammate. Despite this, he helped the team win the French Cup.

After returning to Marseille, he helped them win the French Division 1 title. However, he continued to have disagreements with the club chairman. He was then transferred to Nîmes. In December 1991, during a match for Nîmes, he threw the ball at the referee. This led to a two-month ban. Cantona then announced he was retiring from football.

However, the France national team coach, Michel Platini, convinced him to come back. Platini suggested he move to England to restart his career.

Moving to England: Leeds United

Cantona arrived at Leeds United in January 1992. He was loaned to Leeds for a short period before they signed him permanently. He made his debut for Leeds in February 1992.

He played a key role in Leeds United winning the last Football League First Division title in 1992. This was before the Premier League was created. He made 15 appearances and scored three goals, but he was important for setting up goals for others.

In August 1992, Cantona scored three goals in the 1992 FA Charity Shield against Liverpool. This was a great start to the new season. He then scored another three goals in a 5–0 win over Tottenham in the new Premier League. This was the first hat-trick in the Premier League's history.

However, Cantona's time at Leeds also had some difficult moments. He had disagreements with his manager, Howard Wilkinson. In November 1992, he asked to leave the club.

Becoming a Legend at Manchester United

Cantona moved from Leeds to their rivals, Manchester United, in November 1992. The transfer cost £1 million. Manchester United's manager, Alex Ferguson, wanted a new striker.

Cantona quickly became a key player for United. He scored goals and created many chances for his teammates. His arrival helped Manchester United win their first league title in 26 years in the 1992–93 season. This made Cantona the first player to win consecutive English top division titles with different clubs.

In the 1993–94 season, United won the Premier League again. Cantona scored two penalties in the 1994 FA Cup Final as United beat Chelsea 4–0. He was voted the PFA Players' Player of the Year for that season. He was also United's top scorer with 25 goals. He wore the famous number 7 shirt for Manchester United, a number worn by club legends.

The "Kung-Fu" Incident and Return

In January 1995, Cantona was involved in a famous incident during a match against Crystal Palace. After being sent off, he reacted to a fan in the crowd. This led to a long ban from football for eight months. He was also fined by his club and the Football Association.

Many people thought Cantona might leave England after the ban. However, manager Alex Ferguson convinced him to stay at Manchester United.

Cantona returned to play in October 1995 against Liverpool. He helped United win their third league title in four years in the 1995–96 season. He was the club's top scorer with 14 league goals. He also scored the winning goal in the 1996 FA Cup Final against Liverpool. This made United the first club to win the "Double" (league and FA Cup) twice. Cantona was also the first FA Cup-winning captain from outside the British Isles.

Retirement from Football

Cantona was named Manchester United's captain for the 1996–97 season. United won the league again, meaning Cantona had won four league titles in five years with the team.

At the end of that season, he announced his retirement from football at the age of 30. His last competitive game was on May 11, 1997. He scored 82 goals for Manchester United in less than five years.

After retiring, Cantona explained that he no longer had the same passion for the game. He loved football but wanted to enjoy other things in life.

Life After Football

Acting Career

After leaving football, Cantona started a career as an actor in French films. His first role was in the 1995 film Happiness Is in the Field. He also appeared in the English film Elizabeth (1998).

In 2009, he starred as himself in the film Looking for Eric, directed by Ken Loach. He has continued to act in various films and TV shows. In January 2020, he played "The King" in a music video for Liam Gallagher's song "Once."

Looking for Eric Cannes 2009
Cantona (far right) at the premiere of Ken Loach‘s film Looking for Eric (2009) at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Beach Soccer Success

After retiring from professional football, Cantona became very interested in beach soccer. He became the captain and player-manager of the France national beach soccer team. His brother, Joël, was already part of the team.

Cantona helped beach soccer grow in popularity. He led the French team to win their first European title in 2004. In 2005, he guided them to win the first-ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. This was France's only World Cup title in beach soccer. He stopped playing in 2005 but continued to coach the French team until 2011.

Other Ventures

Cantona has also appeared in many commercials, especially for the sportswear company Nike. In one famous Nike ad from 1996, called "Good vs Evil," he was the main character. He played alongside other famous footballers defending "the beautiful game" against evil warriors.

He also had a brief role as Director of Soccer for the New York Cosmos football club in 2011.

Personal Life and Views

Eric Cantona married Isabelle Ferrer in 1987, and they had two children before divorcing in 2003. He then married actress Rachida Brakni in 2007, and they have two children together.

His brother, Joël, is also a former footballer and actor.

Cantona has also spoken out on social issues. In 2010, he encouraged people to withdraw their money from banks to protest the global financial crisis. In 2012, he tried to gather support for a homeless charity by considering a bid for the French presidential election.

Achievements and Awards

Eric Cantona won many trophies and awards during his football career:

He also received many individual awards, including:

Images for kids

  • Spitting Image Puppet of Eric Cantona (2956625432)

    Puppet of Cantona which appeared on the British satirical puppet show Spitting Image during the 1990s

  • Cantona at The Lowry, Salford, February 2017 (01)

    An Evening with Eric Cantona was held at the Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester, February 2017

  • Cantona at The Lowry, Salford, February 2017 (05)

    Cantona being interviewed on stage

  • CantonaCosmosAugust52011

    Cantona at Old Trafford with the Cosmos, 5 August 2011

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Éric Cantona para niños

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