“CAnTOnA WAS An
InVETERATE TRAInER,
DEDICATED TO
More than a few good players have wilted HIS CRAFT”
when they came to United. The club, and its
history, are just too big for some people.
Cantona was the opposite. He swaggered in,
stuck his chest out, raised his head and
surveyed everything as though he were asking, ‘I’m
Cantona. Are you big enough for me?’ If ever there was a
player that was made for United, it was Cantona. The
story of how he came to Old Trafford is legendary; it
started with a casual enquiry from Leeds United about
the availability of Denis Irwin and ended with the
maverick forward signing for United for £1.2 million. In
fairness to Leeds, most commentators felt it was good
business – Cantona was talented but wayward, and none
of his previous clubs had kept him happy for long. People
looked at him, shirt collar turned up, insouciance
personified, and saw a dilettante. It was nonsense.
Cantona was an inveterate trainer, dedicated to his craft
and frequently found doing extra sessions. That attitude
rubbed off on the young players around him, who grew
up thinking it was the norm. In his five seasons at the
club they won four league titles and two FA Cups, gaining
the self-belief that would lead to many more, for which
Cantona was the catalyst.05
ERIC
CANTONA
1992–1997
Younger United fans might find
it hard to believe we ever had a
box-to-box midfielder better
than Roy Keane. But those of us
who were around when Robson
was in his prime know that we did. Robson
was Captain Marvel, a man with a ridiculous
engine, capable of breaking up play in his
own box and still being on the end of a cross
into the opponent’s box seconds later. His
peak came before Ferguson’s great league-
winning sides, so his list of personal honours
isn’t as big as it should have been, but his
commitment to the cause can never be
doubted. The only problem with Robson was
that the team were overly reliant on him,
and his regular bouts of injury meant that
he did miss games – sometimes important
ones. Robbo played 4 61 times for United –
scoring 99 goals, a decent return for a
midfielder – but could have played so many
more. He was United’s longest-serving
captain and always led by example. Robson
also played 90 games for England, in 65 of
which he was the captain, scoring 26 goals.
Manager Bobby Robson described him as
“as good a player as we’ve ever produced”.04
BRYAN
ROBSON
1981–1994
“HIS LIST OF PERSOnAL
HOnOURS ISn’T AS BIG AS IT
SHOULD HAVE BEEn, BUT HIS
COMMITMEnT TO THE CAUSE CAn
nEVER BE DOUBTED”
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