Eric Cantona: "I Enjoyed Kicking the Hooligan" | Friday Night With Jonathan Ross

Eric Cantona joins Jonathan on the couch to talk about his time at Manchester United, working under Sir Alex Ferguson's management & the toll his 9-month ban took on his spirits.
Season 16, Episode 18.
Original Broadcast Date: 5 June 2009
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#JonathanRoss #EricCantona #ManchesterUnited

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

It wasn't just the kick. I enjoyed the immediate punch when he was back on his feet. What a legend!

[@fearlessformidableferociou8623]

Competed with Dennis Rodman 4 the best rebouncer then...

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

@@fearlessformidableferociou8623 rebouncer?

[@fearlessformidableferociou8623]

@@MrMiD.Life.Crisis quick reflexes is what i was referring 2

[@happydude6713]

People forget about the right hander he dished out that night. I bet the Palace nobhead was seeing stars for days.

[@cavior44]

shit landing tho

[@dannygray4898]

Eric the king! I will never forget what he did for Manchester United.

[@england6054]

Ive been a man utd fan for 46 years and was born in manchester.my mum stood on stretford end watching tommy taylor bobby charlton and the ultimate footballer george best.she witnessed eric and all he did and said what he did for our club was something no other player has ever done,he is simply the only player in the history of the game to motivate his teamates to reach the top.A tremendous footballer who just took no crap and lived on the edge and always produced the goods.i remember when we won in tight games and it was him who got the winner.thankyou eric for everything...

[@england6054]

Lol manchester utd are the institution of english football,just imagine what it would be like without them.You can go anywhere on this earth and you will find somebody wearing the shirt,i bet even at the top of everest the yeti wears one.lol

[@mickfoskett6629]

The king!..nuff said!👊👹

[@100sky3]

Yes during 95/96 he would always pop up with the winning goal. One of the very greatest PL imports.

[@prawnk1ng]

@@The-Great-Brindian this ain’t tinder bro. 🤢

[@angvav7774]

@@england6054 I even saw Elvis wear one at 7 eleven mate lol

[@alexandercameron1977]

I liked the way he picked up his glass as he left the stage. Brought up to be tidy and not lazy.

[@nialloneill5097]

Well spotted...he is considerate of others...including knowing when some people need a good kick...

[@scoppio07]

I think the BBC have a slow motion action replay of the way he picked up that glass with analysis from Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

[@robbiethepict2783]

He said his one regret was he didn't kick him hard enough.

[@RasT108]

He's the most Iranian looking non-Iranian I've ever seen.

[@RasT108]

Also the press were waiting for Cantona to give them a headline. But he didn't. He just got up and walked off. They are the seagulls following the trawler waiting for sardines. People are so lame not to get it.

[@alexavfclineham7301]

Met Eric in my local beer garden as a 12 year old, managed to sit with him,his son and his bodyguard for 15 mins before the crowds came. His son was getting pissed off with the wasps attacking his food and Eric gave me grief for being a villa fan, he insisted me and my mate sat with him, top bloke

[@alexavfclineham7301]

I know mate but he was in his prime at utd at the time, just a bit of fun 😉, we're going to surprise a few people this season

[@hotbot4219]

Bodyguard haha

[@alexavfclineham7301]

@@hotbot4219 yes he had a bodyguard, ex sas bloke hence why he was in my town, what's so funny ?

[@hotbot4219]

@@alexavfclineham7301 he kicked a fan why he need a bodyguard

[@alexavfclineham7301]

@@hotbot4219 there's no correlation to him kicking a fan and needing a bodyguard generally, he had a bodyguard get over it

[@chrissilvester5663]

I'm a Man United fan & I absolutely adore Cantona. My fave ever player. The attitude the arrogance the genius the ability he was just an incredible all round player. As soon as he joined United he literally changed everything. He was like the final piece to kick start our dominance at the time. Fact he loved kicking that Palace fan that was giving him shit makes me love him even more lmao.

[@StefGoedhart]

He could be the father of Zlatan. 🤜🏻🤛🏻

[@catchmeifyoucan8684]

They have an uncanny resemblance

[@mariamalik4810]

Or older brother of Zidane...

[@johnphelan6623]

Zlatan is father of Zlatan........

[@jamesdean1143]

Cantona doesn’t do Zlatan

[@blobboflava]

He is the Godfather of Slatan.

[@DonnyRP]

Still my fav player I’ve ever seen kick a ball. Unbelievable talent. I’ve got his signed shirt on my wall at home

[@tyrionlannister2876]

I popped my collar up on all my shirts as a kid just to be like him (i still played shit) I genuinely thought eric was god back then he is such a hero of mine growing up 🤙🏻 top bloke

[@cutecherryloves]

😂😂😂

[@hellalive8973]

Mate we all did 😂

[@qweasdjfxb2042]

I'm a Leeds Utd fan. Let me tell u, This guy is my ONE n ONLY FAVORITE PLAYER of all times. Really really NO CONTEST at all !!!! He can DRIBBLE He can SCORE And on top of everthing, he possessed tremendous n abundance LEADERSHIP. So happy to see him again.

[@user-rg8bu8qp9r]

Respect from man u

[@francinesicard464]

I'm not a football fan at all, the men in my family are enough for me (incl. Grandsons) BUT I adore Eric Cantona, the man he is, his no nonsense attitude, his discretion, and I love his TV series The Voyager made for him. Kudos to my fellow citizen.

[@wad6216]

What an absolute great, the collar up on the shirt, kicking the Nob sack in the crowd after abusing him and then that magnificent quote and not only that but the way he delivered it with aplomb! Then forgot this but the actual way he played the game with passion, hunger and desire and the incredible skill on top. A team with him and Roy Keane in it is formidable.

[@holtiehero599]

What an absolutely phenomenal man

[@petergreen5337]

It's always nice to see Eric Cantona ...there used to a great ad it said "1966 was a great year for English football ,Eric Cantona was BORN ".

[@MrHuytie]

Seagulls-the press Trawler-EricCantona Sardines-Eric’s words Quite obvious what he was getting at !!!!

[@explosivefreak666]

..?. Are you hai-ku ing the shit out of a com.??

[@MrHuytie]

@@explosivefreak666 I understood Eric not a fkn clue what you’re on about 🤯

[@explosivefreak666]

@@MrHuytie ... A haiku is a form of Japanese poëtry, but your answer just spell's no...

[@rowanjames467]

@@explosivefreak666 no he is not

[@sajidam3463]

But Eric is saying it means nothing.

[@blobboflava]

Sensational interview, grounded and earthy, it shows the calibre and empathy of Jonathan Ross and the class of the King.

[@ciaranblake3398]

His metaphor about the seagulls and the trawler is extremely easy to understand.it just highlights how thick most people are.

[@mechminsk3627]

He was meaning the journalists (seagulls).

[@macman975]

I'm sure everyone understood it as it's obvious. It was just a little bit out there, particularly the way he delivered it and then walked out.

[@SANTIAGO636]

Correct...it was totally above people with miniscule I.Q.

[@madisonjosephinegrace3630]

Not for 3veryone

[@stewartgrindlay9760]

Not hard to understand. Fantastic analogy

[@paulmurgatroyd6372]

Throwing yourself studs-first into the crowd is definitely the sign of a great man. I can't understand why more players don't do it.

[@marcusashwell8314]

If ever a bloke deserved studs in his face it was him

[@ricardonunes7571]

Hooligans vs hooligans,nice prick

[@ricardonunes7571]

1000€ for stupid story longo time ago, boring estupid 🇵🇹

[@paulmurgatroyd6372]

@@ricardonunes7571 Are you offering €1000 or asking for it? It's not clear.

[@Anhorish]

It was like sex with a porcupine: one prick against thousands.

[@SANTIAGO636]

I'm a Kopite...He oozed class and what a presence. Got to say he made the PL What it has become.

[@phoenixikki302]

*_Eric of House Cantona. First of His Name, the Red, the Legend, the True Owner of Number Seven Jersey, King of the Football Field, Protector of Manchester United, Father of the Red Devils._* 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 Now you know His Majesty, the King’s full title. He lives up to his nickname.

[@anthonymcnamara4002]

This man transcended all footballing rivalries. I loved him like he played for my team, even when he was playing against my team.

[@robogamer5384]

Was privileged to see Eric cantina make his debut for Leeds utd against my club Oldham athletic,what a legend he turned out to be, came back with man utd later and we got thrashed by man utd king Eric was world class the best player i ever saw at boundary Park happy days.

[@JamesFlemingIreland]

Cantona is a brilliant, serious actor and football expert. He has intensity and his words have gravity. The media don't know how to cope with this kind of content. Jonathan Ross saying "i wasn't really listening to you" and making a joke of the whole thing highlights how the media expect us to approach them - we're just a joke. Any sign of intelligence or seriousness is mocked or received uncomfortably. Cantona has always been mocked by the tabloids. It's rarely stated that the "hooligan" he kicked was a racist and a known ultra-rightist. Cringe.

[@mudabudda]

He was a breath of fresh air in English football

[@jonathanrex]

In fact I have seen movies with Cantona and thought to myself, that he kinda looked familiar to me. What I wasn't aware of is, how charismatic he really is. Wow.

[@daithiosull5627]

I absolutely loved him growing up!

[@CasperLD]

100% certified legend.

[@brenteke1546]

One word LEGEND, KING CANTONA ❤️😁

[@michaelgaskell2031]

Loved to have seen George and Eric playing together. With Bobby and Denis just behind them. With Ronnie between them 2. United 5 greatest

[@johnb8935]

What a legend the king ,⭐⭐

[@Getintheskipyoumelt]

I love King Eric, what a Manchester United legend!

[@francosoliman103]

Enigmatic. Fiery. Talented and great to watch.

[@anthonywoolfe3148]

Never be another player like him he’s a LEGEND🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🔥🔥🔥🔥#MUFC

[@staffh3815]

Thanks Eric we loved watching it

[@user-gk3mq7hm8w]

Met him in yesterday's Alderley Edge, we said our hellos ,twice,and that was that,simple love himxxxxxxxx

[@djcranium1210]

I remember when he retired I was in absolute shock because I thought he would definitely be at utd for another couple of years.

[@andypac7]

I cried. I cried a lot.

[@MrMadfrankie]

Me too. Gutted

[@ryancdallas]

Same! I was obsessed with United as a kid during the 90s, and Cantona was my hero. I was on holiday in Florida when I heard the news he had quit and it devastated me!

[@andyw9255]

6:12 for the quote. It's actually Jonathan Ross who says it. Clickbait.

[@jameshickey1294]

True artist in wat he did on the pitch - not many players can come to the prem league an light it up in wat ever stadium the way eric did - wat a character ⚽️

[@ermir7996]

Iconic, leader, winner, charismatic, rock star, talented, forthright, passionate, rebel, free spirit, Legend. One of the most deep, sensitive and intelligent people in sport (and like an artist, a true provocateur). But I know the majority of people won't see it, cause they are just like journalists "seagulls seeking sardines" and nothing more.

[@amillionviews888]

08:40. When Eric made that quote about the seagulls, i nearly wet myself, i laughed so much, especially when he said ' When the segulls (then he took a pause and drank some water, then countinued the quote. That was madness, the best i,ve seen so far on tv. Pls watch it, if you haven' t seen it, its hallarious. A masterpiece that could only come from the best.

[@engelberthumperdinck7366]

What a football legend what a man ⚽⚽⚽⚽😎x

[@owenfitzgerald3219]

I got the idea from it was that the seagulls represented the Press, the Trawler was Eric Cantona and the fish was a story, but, as the man said it doesn’t mean anything.

[@harveysmith100]

I think his subconsciously mind produce those thoughts, even though he doesn't think it means anything. I have always thought the same as you. It fits the narrative so perfectly.

[@kellier021285]

He didn't make them quotes up he got them from someone else and just used them.

[@jamesfagan7823]

What a brilliant brilliant football player

[@pk2959]

We were Blessed ❤️⚽️

[@michaelmather7352]

The legend.

[@sassy_brit1975]

Sublime King Cantona 😎👑💛 great interview 👏

[@sparkidee]

King Eric legend forever! Ooh ah Cantona!

[@genokemp2433]

I was at the Swindon Game when you got sent off ..Just saying 🤦‍♂Eric ,the best buy this side of the Century in English football ,we will never see the likes of you again ⚽But over the years you talking about the ''BOSS'' is heart warming .God bless you and Rip Cathy ❤

[@dave-jk6en]

I was there too, he gave Moncur a good stamp 😆

[@Mindfookfilms]

Legend forever.

[@davidknell8831]

Apart from being so brilliant he stole the title off us for Leeds ! He was a simple genius! Long love king cantona! Ooh arghh!

[@frankshankley3258]

He was a bit part player in that Leeds team. He came very late in the season and for the main part made substitute appearances, Howard Wilkinson didn't really have the know how to get the best from him but his original love was for LUFC FANS... His goal v Chelsea is still one of the best I've seen.

[@UssyMustyYS]

LEGENDARY!!!!

[@i3k291]

Legend!

[@brosephyolonarovichstalin2915]

I think Eric Cantona is loved in England because he made an effort to learn the language, told the truth, and literallly kicked out at the ugliness of the underclass. He also kicked off the success at United. Just a different player, but very special. He had two problems in the France national team. Gerard Houllier gave him a tryout but it didn’t work out. And the future of France was so obviously Zidane and he needed complimenting with someone like Deschamps (whom he called a water carrier). So they cut him off. And won the World Cup 🤣😋

[@johnnybravo9356]

That chest control class 🙌🏼

[@fasthracing]

6:23 Epic!

[@peterreid4567]

What a great great player. Loved this guy. So happy when he kicked the bell end. Wish he’d done him properly

[@imndcool]

Love you King Eric!

[@stephenevans4782]

LEGEND

[@ynothump2566]

Sheer class. Thanks for gracing the Premier League!

[@alanmctavish4802]

Tavy@ eric cantona was probably the greatest player in europe during his time at man utd. He was brilliant. The way he chipped a ball over a goal keeper as if he was just taking a walk with his dog was brilliant. Probably the greatest player to chip a goal keeper since george best, and a would say ronaldo couldnt chip a keeper the way cantona did. And from 25 to 30 yards out. Chipping a keeper is my favourite delight in scoring a goal and watching one being scored, becouse it was imo the hardest way to score a goal with just one single shot well chance or chip lol and that hooligan deserved what eric did to him, he must of shit himself becouse he never expected eric to do that. There all hard men in a crowd amongst 60 thousand others but one on one he would never have said boo to eric cantona, and standing at 6ft2, and that hooligan looked about 5ft9. No chance, eric would of wiped the floor with him. Once he saw the big man walking towards him 1 day some where he would have put his head to the ground and hoped eric didnt notice him. He is a big guy! So players have just to stand and take fans screaming the worse things the can thinck of to them, and alot of it is really evil sick stuff, as in involving there familys. A thought 9 month ban was a bit harsh. But i know the cant allow that, so i thought 4 month would of been fair enough, a mean the guy asked for it and its not as if he ended up in hospital. Cantona really did make a huge difference btw to man utds team when he signed for them. He was the start of man utd winning the championship since 1967.

[@TomLawton-li4zz]

Shocking interview

[@parkerisking]

The journalists were the seagulls, the trawler was the Eric and the sardines were what he was going to say. Pretty simple.

[@nigelnyoni8265]

LEGEND!

[@denisesiddon7241]

Remember this, he was just kicking out racism. Good on you Eric 😘

[@Lagosawee]

Damn! I made a similar comment above

[@paddy2875]

And got suspened for nine months for assault.

[@petergreen5337]

Ha ha That's NOT a legal defence..

[@Kloppsserialbottlers]

@@petergreen5337 doesn't need one, he's a legend because of and in spite of that kick.

[@Comprends-ton-Dim]

Well french isnt a race

[@lordlatimer6672]

French national mindset. He's bigger than football.

[@stekilgariff420]

On the 5 th day off Christmas sir Alex gave to me 5 cantoooonnnaaaaaaaaaa s 4 cantonas 3 cantona 2 cantonas and a ERIC CANTONAAAAA Long live the king 👑7

[@manuelhung7571]

King Eric, finest player along with George Best to ever strap on a pair of boots.

[@JollyGraham]

Loved the film.

[@samdin8594]

Living legend...because of that KungFu kick...i bought the jersey...😅😆

[@sajidam3463]

Best 90s French footballer Most famous French footballer since the 90s.

[@Hey69Mflan]

??? Nope, all wrong. I guess you forgot about ZZ

[@mattforde7229]

amazing

[@Elmund01]

The love for the man is real ❤

[@stevecampbell4399]

It shows what a talent Wossy is as it was like pulling teeth trying to get him to be forthcoming

[@DessieTots]

When I saw Cantona dealing with that wee fuck I cheered. Possibly the most entertaining football moment ever.

[@mathewfinley8188]

Looking For Eric is a brilliant film

[@tonylarvin7928]

King Eric, the greatest purchase United ever made and the catalyst for a halcyon period in their history.

[@danmoran485]

I hate football, but I love Cantona. Vive la 🇫🇷!!

[@user-jb7gj6cp9z]

Eric cantonna is a man utd legend and king

[@pmc8451]

I’ve never understood why people struggle to understand the seagulls metaphor, it’s so obvious what he means in the context he said it. The seagulls (the press) follow the trawler (Cantona in this instance, could be anyone or any scandal) because they think sardines will thrown into the sea (they think Cantona will give them something, a quote, a reason, an apology etc). In a broader context it’s about relentlessly following or pursuing something under a false pretence or a misunderstanding, expecting something that isn’t going to happen

[@Arfabiscuit]

i am an Arsenal fan and Eric is my favorite player ever .

[@daysgone2997]

i enjoyed it cos it was on my birthday 🥳

[@elenibastet1424]

We enjoyed too...🥰

[@michaelgaskell2031]

Fave player. Unique mercurial. Top bloke

[@teterouge1472]

Proper legend

[@EnzoFerrari63193]

Grande Eric ❤ Manchester United wouldn't have become a top team without you. And that 71 was lucky 'cause he didn't even have to be there

[@getsbuckets]

Living legend

[@magz9816]

Legend

[@frannyp46]

Eric, I also enjoyed you kicking the hooligan as well. You handed the premier league title to my team Blackburn Rovers with your absence.

[@Kloppsserialbottlers]

and you've been flying it ever since. Up Rovers!

[@frannyp46]

What. Yup, they are called memories. Something only teams like Newcastle and co can only dream of.

[@simon5evans52]

@@frannyp46The original oil team.

[@frannyp46]

Simon evans. Indeed. The difference is the oil was produced in Blacburrn by a man born in Blackburn.

[@simon5evans52]

@@frannyp46 They still bought the league. Look what happened after the money went.

[@denisesiddon7241]

Legend 🤩

[@christ4200]

The most awkward but brilliant man to ever exist.

[@SLABONECHD]

es uno de mis idolos por como jugaba y por como es de rebelde y por la patada al nazi

[@alanmurray5963]

Eric the King 🔥

[@robertcatterall6514]

What a F###ing Legend…. The King sir Eric……

[@brandonmathews7050]

Cantona a legend

[@TheRjb2010]

King Eric. Bow to the King

[@tex2344]

The King 👑

[@kittyroo9294]

oooh aah Cantona! say ooh aaah Cantona!

[@RobertJohnson-vz9vd]

King Eric was a different stage always doing the unexpected a bit like Zidane

[@RockNlRolla]

Vinnie Jones liked it also when he went flying