Manchester United legend

Chapter 114 Praising Cantona
Ferguson said many classic comments to Cantona, I think this is one of them, "If there is a player in this world who was born for Manchester United, then this person must be Cantona.

I think he's been looking all his life, looking for a team that appreciates him and makes him feel at home.He was like a gypsy, but when he came here, he realized, this is my home. "

Regarding the departing king, Ferguson said in a press conference, "In four and a half years, Eric helped us win six championship trophies, and we only spent 6 million pounds for it.

From this angle you can see how high his value is.He's been the best player on the team for the past four and a half years.

Of course, those four-and-a-half years are the longest time Eric has spent on a team in his playing career.

We've had many great players and Eric's impact has been absolutely incredible.

He came in at the right time and injected his own style.

Eric has a vital influence on the development of young players.

Eric has always been a role model for a professional player, one of the most talented and dedicated.

Whenever fans talk about the greatest names United have ever had, Cantona is sure to be at the top of the list.

He leaves with our best wishes and Old Trafford will always welcome him and remember him forever. "

Charlton said: "It's hard for me to accept the fact that Cantona retired at the peak of his career.

This is what the French do. To be honest, Cantona is really amazing.However, his departure will leave a huge hole in Manchester United, which is the biggest loss we have to face. "

At one time, he also competed with Cantona for position and playing opportunities. Later, Scholes, who was trained by Ferguson as Cantona II, was also stunned by the news of Cantona's retirement. "Cantona stopped playing?! My mind is blank, it's really a mess, I don't know what to say, why didn't he play football? He should have played longer than me..."

Giggs pointed out that Cantona's character is not as cold as it seems from the outside world: "Many people think he is a bit cold, but for us, Cantona is not like that.

He is one of our teammates, in fact he has integrated into the team very quickly within a few days of his arrival.

He is quiet and elegant, with a calm smile and strict self-discipline.My impression is that Cantona has always had a strong aura, which is different from others. For us, knowing that Eric can play is always an inspiration for the whole team. The opponents also know that Cantona can always use his magic to destroy their defense. "

Gary said, "None of us really knew Eric, but the respect we had for him was unmatched, it goes without saying.

In practice, if the ball wasn't going the way he wanted it to, he'd look at you like he was going to knock you to the ground.

Once he taught Bart to practice long throws and catches, and Nicky couldn't complete the task at all, and he was really beaten by Eric.

He has very high standards and is a perfectionist.But because it's Eric, you don't feel demeaned, it just motivates you to do better. "

Speaking of how the Class of 92 felt about Cantona, Gary said, "We were desperate to impress him. Respect for him also included a little bit of fear, because we've all seen him explode, but we all knew he would never take it on us.

Kung fu kicks, a string of red cards, fist slamming at Galatasaray, shoving referees, getting kicked after being pissed off on the pitch... we found the surprises funny - in hindsight, of course - because Eric was so gentle and quiet at other times.

He is not arrogant at all, but very polite and respected.He's always been true to himself, driving an unpretentious car and living in an unpretentious house in Salford.

He goes to all the group events, the Christmas parties, the family gatherings, but he's always quiet, a bit like Scholes or Andy Cole - but not in a quiet, unsociable way.You definitely accept a quiet person at a party as much as you accept a rowdy one. "

Gary, who later became the captain of Manchester United, said, "In those days when I was finally able to become the captain of Manchester United, the object I have been imitating and learning from is Cantona."

Class 92, who were very afraid of Ferguson, felt unbelievable that Cantona could often ignore Ferguson's words, but they got used to it quickly after facing the fact many times.

Butt said, "Eric has his own way of doing things, no one can interfere, sometimes not even the head coach.

Once we were at a double crown celebration at Manchester Town Hall and Eric didn't have a suit on, he just wore a denim jacket.

We looked him up and down, wondering how the head coach would react when he arrived. We were all sure that the boss would be furious, and he would definitely scold Cantona and drive him back to change his clothes.

There was media and heavyweights from all walks of life.But the head coach just shook his head and smiled.

'Well, lads,' he said. 'That Cantona is out of place, not a good thing, let's just leave him alone. 'Cantona can be pardoned because these are small points, Ferguson is not unreasonable.

Combining brilliance with genuine loyalty, Cantona worked as hard as the less senior players and worked hard to improve.This is the fundamental reason why Cantona was favored by Ferguson. "

Knowing the news of Cantona's retirement, Solskjaer, who has only worked with Cantona for one season, is extremely regretful, "Cantona is my guide. On the court, he tells me what to do and how to move. He makes me feel at ease on the court.

I have never met anyone like him. I admire not only his skills, but also his personality. "

In the impression of Pallister, another philosopher in the team, Cantona was an all-British star very early on, not only in the football section, but his remarks and news often appeared in the current affairs section.

What Pallister remembers most is that when he and other Manchester United teammates were reading tabloids, playing cards or playing game consoles on the expedition bus, Cantona sat alone and read French classics or books by Socrates. For others' inquiries, Cantona said, "I am not studying, I am living."

Kidd said, "He's the most disciplined player I've ever coached, always the first one to come to practice.

He first does a set of warm-up exercises by himself, and then he does it again with the whole team.He always puts all his energy into training, and even does extra training alone after the end.

He was the last to leave the parking lot, eager to sign autographs for fans.If he needs to do some public welfare activities such as visiting patients in the hospital, he is always enthusiastic about going there.

Cantona is a role model for a professional player, a player who is definitely a dream player.His influence on the entire team and on young players is invaluable. "

A true legend in the history of Manchester United who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Cantona, George Best from different generations once commented on him: "I am willing to take out all the champagne I have ever drunk, as long as I can play an important European game with Cantona at Old Trafford."

You just need to know that for Best, good wine is far more important than the championship.

Cantona was charismatic in his farewell, saying, "I love Manchester United. It's like a perfect wife who gave you a perfect marriage. Leaving this club is like leaving the woman you love.

When you have nothing to say, you choose to leave.I've never been able to swear an oath of eternal loyalty, but as long as I'm with the team, I believe we can go nowhere.

And at the end of the day, I'm a footballer first and not a pop star.

If I really wanted the spotlight to be on me, I would probably have chosen to play tennis long ago.I'm just a normal guy. "

Many years later, the "Guardian" reporter Koman interviewed Cantona, Cantona explained the reason for his retirement, "Football has lost its excitement for me.

That's why I retired, I didn't need to retire, I'm fine, I'm fine, but I'm bored.

So I left football and looked for new experiences.I am on an adventure myself, and I like to feel like I am on an adventure. "

So Cantona doesn't miss football at all? "I don't miss it, but I'm afraid I will.

That life is so exciting, the adrenaline becomes a drug for your body, a drug your body needs every week.

So when you retire, there is a risk of depression.So when I retired, I didn't go back to France and I didn't stay in Manchester.

I went to Barcelona and I lived there for a while with my grandparents.I don't watch games, I don't care about scores and championships.

I don't want to be close to the atmosphere of the game, to feel the smell of the dressing room, I don't want to reminisce. "

Nevertheless, after many years, Cantona could not resist the call of football, and he became the director of football of the New York Cosmos.

He was also invited back to Old Trafford in many of Manchester United's commemorative activities.

He even expressed his desire to return to Manchester United to coach in an interview with Manchester United TV.

Manchester United's relationship with Cantona is special.It was a family relationship, a relationship that went beyond simple love and hate.

Cantona is always moved when it comes to the love the United fans have for him.

Yes, he has developed a slightly mystical relationship with fans: enduring spiritual cult?The platonic relationship, even if compared with any period in football history between players and fans, is not inferior.

Cantona said: "I can't explain the emotion and I don't want to. It's like love.

You know you're in love, but you don't have to explain exactly how you feel or why you're in love.

I think if you had to figure out the romance between me and the Manchester United fans, it might take the first half of the year.So, everything goes without saying. "

Jost said: "The fans love Cantona, we all love Cantona, because everything he does and says makes you want to follow him desperately.

He just has that magic.Yes, in England, you all know that Cantona is known as a poet, philosopher and artist.

He is revered as the "king" of Old Trafford, as if he was born to come to the Theater of Dreams to create miracles. With his passion and fighting spirit, he became the leader of Manchester United, and Manchester United fans love Cantona more than any previous Manchester United player. "

I want to say, "Ferguson has brought champions and glory to Manchester United, and the captains of Manchester United under him are full of blood.

However, the captains are still different. Robson brought toughness, bravery and persistence to Manchester United, Bruce brought calmness, restraint and bravery to Manchester United, but Cantona brought Manchester United a domineering, arrogant and domineering momentum. "

That's it, in England, Cantona was praised as a genius, worshiped by people at Manchester United's home court, and has a god-like status.

No, Cantona was a cross between an angel and a devil.Cantona is the captain of Manchester United, the soul of the field, and the most reliable player who can kill the enemy.

As the captain of Manchester United, Cantona is indeed skilled and has a strong mental quality. The most special thing is that the innate arrogance has been integrated into the soul of Manchester United. The high collar and dismissive expression after scoring make people firmly believe that Manchester United is invincible under his leadership. As long as Cantona is on the field, the opponents will feel frightened. , This concept also allowed Manchester United to stage a magical reversal in subsequent games.

In this sense, even today, the Manchester United team can still feel the profound influence left by Cantona, although the domineering and bloody may not be much, although the magic and resilience may not be much.

Evra, who later followed in the footsteps of his predecessors to Old Trafford, said: "I already knew that Cantona was called the 'King', but I really understood him when I came to Manchester United. He was a legend. If a French player like me can succeed at Manchester United, then Cantona is the one who opened the door to success for us. We can't thank him enough. In my first season at the club, I watched a lot of Cantona. ' Well, that motivates me to keep going!"

The old teammate McClair said, "I have always wanted to stay at Manchester United with a stern face. For this reason, I did not hesitate to change positions, accept substitutes, and accept salary cuts... I absolutely disagree with Cantona's retirement. This guy just left. It's fucking unbelievable-how many championships should we have won if he didn't leave?!"

(End of this chapter)