Manchester United legend Eric Cantona did not hesitate to make a powerful claim about his legendary playing career if he had not committed to his retirement.
Eric Cantona stunned the world in 1997 after the eccentric Frenchman made the decision to leave Old Trafford and retire from football altogether at the age of 30.
The 59-year-old former Red Devils forward had been a cornerstone of Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary success with Manchester United in the 1990s.
Signed from Leeds United in 1992, United legend Cantona lifted four Premier League titles and two FA Cups during his stunning — and impactful — spell at Old Trafford.
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What Eric Cantona expected to happen in his career if the Man Utd icon had not walked away from football
Eric Cantona never returned to professional football as a player after the legendary former Manchester United No 7 bowed out of the Premier League club.
The former France international pursued a wide range of ventures after football, including focusing on his music and his acting career in both film and TV.
Sir Alex Ferguson landed Cantona for £1m from rivals Leeds United and the Frenchman was a catalyst for Man Utd’s dominance of English football in the 1990s.
Speaking to the YouTube channel Brut, Cantona insisted that he could have seen himself playing “for another 10 years” if he had not retired from football in 1997.
“No [connection to football now], because football was… I experienced it very intensely, with adrenaline injections three times a week,” he said.
“Very intense, it’s a hard drug. And when I decided to stop, I was 30, I wasn’t forced to stop.
“I could have played for another 10 years, maybe. So, the best way to avoid being a prisoner of your past is to move on to other things, and I’m lucky enough to be passionate about other things.
“So, very quickly, I told myself I shouldn’t watch the matches because watching them is like running into your drug dealer.”
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Cantona admitted that it was important to strike a balance with football after his playing career and to know when he would want to watch it and when not to.
“No, I wanted to and I try to be like that,” he added.
“So, I’ve kind of rebuilt myself since I stopped my career, running away from all that, and then little by little, I come back and I think, ‘Hey, there’s this match I want to watch because I like this style of play, like Barcelona for example, certain players I want to see,’ and I’ll watch a match for that, actually.
“Nothing more than that.”
Cantona netted 82 times and registered 63 assists in his 185 matches for the Red Devils during his time under iconic former United manager Ferguson.
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