Eric Cantona was the charismatic Frenchman who inspired Manchester United’s rise to dominance in the 1990s, his upturned collar and imperious swagger becoming symbols of the club’s revival. Signed from Leeds United, he provided the swagger, vision and finishing that helped deliver multiple league titles.
A brilliant but volatile figure, his career was marked by moments of genius and controversy in equal measure, including a notorious kung-fu kick that earned a lengthy ban. He retired abruptly at the peak of his powers, leaving behind an aura few players have matched. To United supporters he remained, simply, King Eric.