Eric Cantona returned to Manchester on Wednesday night to be greeted by over 1,000 adoring fans, the latest stop of his tour. Having forked out a small fortune to listen to their hero talk, there might have been some apprehension before the event, given the way it had been received in Bournemouth the night before.
Why Bournemouth had been chosen as a location is unknown, but what was billed as “An Evening with Eric Cantona” reportedly became 45 minutes with the former striker, sandwiched between a comedy support act and an auction.
Event organisers ironed out the creases and changed the format when it arrived at The Lowry theatre, a stone’s throw from Old Trafford. The supporters left happy, having listened to Cantona speak for over an hour about his time at the club, the problems of money in football, the need for academies to produce top talent and his feelings for Sir Alex Ferguson.
Surprisingly, the pair aren’t in contact these days, other than on the occasions when Cantona returns to watch United play.
“I don’t like to speak to people when I don’t see their eyes,” he said. “When I come back to United, I speak to him, but I don’t like to speak on the phone. It’s the same with my friends and my family. Alex Ferguson is my friend but we don’t speak too much.”
While his love and respect for Ferguson was apparent throughout the evening, Cantona also had kind words to say about the club’s current manager, Jose Mourinho.
“You have a great manager in Mourinho,” he told the fans. “He’s a winner. He’s won so many things. I’m sure he will win many things for United.”
Mourinho’s first opportunity for real silverware, following the Community Shield win in August, will be on Sunday when United take on Southampton in the EFL Cup final.
In the last final United played in, it was academy product Jesse Lingard who scored the winning goal to see his team lift the FA Cup. Cantona stressed the importance of United continuing with the traditions of playing youth, a strategy that Mourinho has not been famed for throughout his career.
“You need young players,” he said. “This kind of philosophy should keep going. It’s important for Manchester United. Winning things too, but to walk out with young players. You cannot have a better team than when you play with young players who come through your academy.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be playing up front on Sunday though, with Marcus Rashford lucky if he gets to start out wide, competing with Anthony Martial for his place in the team. Ibrahimovic will be looking to add to his ever-increasing goal tally and follow in Cantona’s footsteps, with the Frenchman scoring three cup final goals in his five seasons at the club.
Ryan Giggs is the latest person to compare Ibrahimovic and Cantona, saying the confidence they have in their own ability unites them. Cantona was asked whether he saw the similarities.
“I think he’s a great player,” he responded. “He’s got a very strong personality. He’s a great player and I hope we will win many things with him. He will play an important part, for sure.”
Chances are that United fans will not only be singing Ibrahimovic’s name at Wembley on Sunday, but Cantona’s name too, as they do most weeks at Old Trafford and on the road. This will please the Frenchman. With the fans spontaneously breaking out into song on several occasions inside The Lowry, they were quietened by a question to them from their hero.
“Can I ask you to do something for me? Never stop.”
If Ibrahimovic’s chants are still being sung by United fans in 20 years’ time, you’ll know he’s done something right. But it’s unlikely that he, or anyone else, will ever match Cantona for affection from the supporters. The Swede will get a bit closer if he scores the winning goal against Southampton.
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