After Dinner Speakers: Eric Cantona, Pierluigi Collina, Rowan Atkinson

Eric Cantona was born in Marseille in 1966. After making his first team debut in 1983 Cantona spent 1984 doing his national service in the French Army. Between 1985 and 1990 Cantona played for Martigues, Auxerre, Olympique-Marseille, Girondins-Bordeaux and Montpellier-Herault and by the end of 1989-90 season Cantona had helped Montpellier to victory in the French Cup Final and had been recalled to the national team. Whilst at Montpellier he was suspended for 10 days after a dressing room fight with a team-mate. After signing once again for Marseille in the summer of 1990 Cantona became a valuable member of a star-studded team. However in 1990 an injury sidelined him for 3 months. Unable to gain a regular place in the Marseille line-up during the rest of the season Cantona joined Nimes-Olympique for Ł1 million. Appointed Captain, Cantona was again soon in trouble with the football authorities. Sent off after throwing the ball at a referee he was summoned before the disciplinary committee of the French F.A. Given a one month suspension, Cantona called each member an idiot and found his suspension doubled to two months. Deciding that enough was enough Cantona signed a cancellation of his contract and in December 1991 announced his retirement. Persuaded to consider playing in England, Cantona briefly joined Sheffield Wednesday before Leeds United signed him in January 1992. By April Cantona had become a firm favourite with the Leeds supporters who responded with 'Ooh Aah Cantona' chants whenever he played. Surprisingly Cantona struggled to hold a regular place in the Leeds team resulting in a shock move to Manchester United in 1992 for Ł1 million. The arrival of Cantona galvanised United's squad into championship form to bring the club its first Championship in 26 years. Cantona had now also become the first player to win consecutive English League Championship medals with different clubs. The following season Cantona was United’s top scorer and his role as the creative genius at the heart of United's team was recognized by his peers when the Professional Footballers Association's members voted him 'Player of the Year' for 1994. Despite all this success there was still concern over Cantona's disciplinary record and he was eventually banned for 4 European matches. Due to constantly making front and back page news for weeks on end for the wrong reasons, Manchester United quickly announced that Eric Cantona would be fined the maximum his contract allowed in the ’94-’95 season and that he was suspended from all first team matches until the end of the season. After the FA extended his ban to include all competitive matches until the end of September, F.I.F.A. extended this ban worldwide. The French F.A. also removed him from captaining the French national team. To top it all Cantona was convicted of assault and sentenced to 2 weeks in jail. After a public outcry Cantona saw his sentence reduced on appeal to 120 hours community service. Manchester United kept faith with their errant star player offering a new three year contract in March 1995. Cantona returned to action with United in October 1995 and towards the end of the season was appointed team captain. United won the Premiership and less than a week later Cantona led out United as captain in the F.A. Cup Final against Liverpool. Cantona's 86 minute goal gave United a unique 'double-double' and made him the first foreign player to captain an F.A. Cup winning team. His outstanding performances and exemplary disciplinary record in 1995-96 season saw a number of calls for his return to the French national team. Though lauded as a genius in England Cantona was less highly rated in his homeland where he was thought of as a good player but regarded as a 'bad-boy'. Cantona has claimed to be a poet, philosopher and artist since his arrival in England but it is his coolness on the pitch, his vision, flicks and passing skills and his goalscoring record that won him the adoration of the Old Trafford faithful. In the 1996-7 season Eric Cantona took over from Steve Bruce as club captain and what proved to be his last season with United proved to be his quietest. Approximately a week after the 1996-7 season finished Eric Cantona announced that he would be retiring from professional football with immediate effect. He has since returned to France with his family to pursue an alternative career in the media. Eric Cantona – one of the most charismatic and controversial players in the history of football.