Eric Cantona reveals his most iconic Man Utd moment was sparked after old friend ‘refused’ to ‘shake his hand’

Eric Cantona has now admitted that one of the most iconic moments in his legendary Manchester United career happened due to a tunnel incident involving a former player.

One of Manchester United’s most beloved No 7s, Eric Cantona etched his name into Red Devils folklore after a sensational impact at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson snapped up the Frenchman from Leeds United in 1992 for £1m and Cantona brought incredible success for the legendary former United manager.

Cantona was a larger-than-life figure in the United dressing room and lifted four Premier League titles and two FA Cups during a remarkable run at the club.

The 58-year-old former United star made 184 appearances during his storied Old Trafford career and scored an impressive 81 times for the Red Devils.

Cantona stunned United legend Sir Alex Ferguson – and the whole world – in 1997 when he walked away from professional football at only the age of 30.

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Cantona recalls iconic Man Utd moment

Following a decorated playing career, the eccentric Eric Cantona pursued other ventures in the creative arts like an acting career and producing music.

The Manchester United legend holds a strong affinity with Red Devils supporters and has spoken fondly about them since his departure from Old Trafford.

Cantona made an appearance on The Rest Is Football podcast and opened up about his time under Sir Alex Ferguson at United and his life away from football.

During his conversation with Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, Cantona talked about his remarkable chipped finish against Sunderland in 1996.

The former France international famously burst through the Sunderland midfield and took a return pass from Brian McClair before superbly lobbing Lionel Perez.

Cantona then struck an iconic pose in front of the United fans at Old Trafford as he circled around on the spot before raising his arms in the air.

The Frenchman admitted that he was close pals with Lionel Perez and he wanted to shake hands with him before the match, only for him to be snubbed in the tunnel.

“It was a good goal and the goalkeeper of Sunderland was a French goalkeeper,” he said.

“I played with when he was a young player in France. We were good friends, but before the game, I don’t know why.

“You know, while we were in the tunnel, I was a captain, so I came in front, and I wanted to shake his hand, and he refused to shake my hand, like he wanted to impress me, you know.”

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Cantona on iconic Premier League chip vs Perez

Cantona reflected on his iconic celebration in the match against Sunderland and admitted that he was “instinctive” with his reactions rather than planning them out.

“It’s a mix of many things, I think,” he added.

“The beauty of the goal, him [Perez], and the, I don’t know, the fan taking the energy off everybody.

“I never thought about celebrations before. I never celebrate a goal two times in the same way because it’s instinctive. Now we see players, they always do the same thing.”