In January 2011 Charlton was voted the 4th greatest Manchester United player of all time by the readers of Inside United and ManUtd. com, behind Ryan Giggs ( who topped the poll ), Eric Cantona and George Best.

In Looking For Eric, the main actor Steve Evets discovered that football icon Eric Cantona was in the film only when he turned around to face him in a scene, with the camera rolling.

" However, his adjustment was rapid and he ended the season by being named runner-up to Eric Cantona as Footballer of the Year.

Due to Cantona's acting career, his schedule meant that he would not be available in February and the match was moved to 18 August, with the opposition to be a European XI chosen by Cantona himself.

Cantona is affectionately nicknamed by Manchester United fans as " King Eric ", and was voted as Manchester United's greatest ever player by Inside United magazine.

Although it has been suggested that he was born in Paris, Cantona was actually born in Marseille to Albert Cantona, a nurse and a painter and Éléonore Raurich, a dressmaker.

By the time Cantona was born in 1966, the hillside cave had become little more than a room in the family's house, which was now up to a liveable standard.

The following year, Cantona was again in trouble because of a dangerous tackle on Nantes player Michel Der Zakarian, resulting in a three month suspension ; this was later reduced to a two month suspension as his club Auxerre threatened to make the player unavailable for selection in the national team.

Cantona was instrumental as the team went on to win the French Cup and his form persuaded Marseille to take him back.

However, the Marseille chairman Bernard Tapie was not satisfied with the results, and replaced Beckenbauer with Raymond Goethals ; Cantona was continually at odds with Goethals and Tapie and, despite helping the team win the French Division 1 title, he was transferred to Nîmes the following season.

His ban was increased to two months, and Cantona subsequently announced his retirement from football on 16 December 1991.

The French national team coach Michel Platini was a fan of Cantona, and persuaded him to make a comeback.

On 6 November 1991, after Liverpool's 3 – 0 victory over Auxerre in a UEFA Cup Second Round second leg tie at Anfield, Liverpool manager Graeme Souness was met by Frenchman Michel Platini at the end of the game, who told him that Cantona was available for sale to Liverpool.

Cantona made 15 appearances for Leeds in their championship-winning season and despite only scoring three goals he was instrumental in their title success, primarily with assists for leading goalscorer Lee Chapman.

Ferguson had identified that his team was in need of a striker, having recently made bids for David Hirst, Matt Le Tissier and Brian Deane, and instructed his chairman to ask Wilkinson whether Cantona was for sale.

However, the season was not without its moments of controversy ; Cantona was sent off as Manchester United exited the Champions League against Galatasaray, and he was also dismissed in successive Premier League games, firstly against Swindon Town and then against Arsenal.

FIFA then confirmed the suspension as worldwide, meaning that Cantona couldn't escape the ban by transferring to a foreign club.

A goal by Cantona in United's league clash with West Ham United at Upton Park triggered a 10-match winning run in the league.

In his 1999 autobiography Managing My Life, Alex Ferguson claimed that Cantona had informed him of his decision to retire from playing within 24 hours of United's European exit, though the decision was not made public for almost a month afterwards.

The shirt had previously been worn by many of United's other illustrious players over the years including Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson, David Beckham and George Best.

At the end of his first season with Liverpool, he was in their side for the FA Cup Final, but was substituted in favour of Ian Rush ( in his final appearance for Liverpool ) in the 74th minute with the match still goalless, and watched from the sidelines when Manchester United's Eric Cantona fired home the winning goal with five minutes left on the clock.

In November, with United's title challenge flagging once again due to a shortage of goals, Ferguson offered the Owls £ 3million for Hirst, but the offer was rejected and United signed Eric Cantona instead.

Manchester United also reached the 1996 FA Cup Final against Liverpool, and with regular captain Steve Bruce missing through injury, Cantona was named as captain.

Jacquet began to rebuild the national team in preparation for Euro 96 and appointed Cantona as captain.

Cantona remained captain until the Selhurst Park incident in January 1995.

Shortly after his departure from Manchester United, Cantona became captain of the French national beach football team.

When new team coach Aimé Jacquet began to rebuild the team for Euro 96, he initially selected Manchester United star Eric Cantona as captain.

Eric Cantona, who scored 19 goals in 1995 – 96 ( including the FA Cup final winner ), was voted FWA Footballer of the Year by football journalists and was made team captain following the departure of Steve Bruce to Birmingham City.

His most commercially successful recent film is 2009's Looking for Eric, featuring a depressed postman's conversations with the ex-Manchester United football star, Eric Cantona ( played by Cantona himself ).

However, in the midst of the preparations, former United player Eric Cantona, who had retired from football to pursue a career in film in the summer of 1997, expressed an interest in returning to Manchester United for a farewell match.

Nevertheless, the match earned £ 47, 000 for each of the victims ' families, while Eric Cantona recouped over £ 90, 000 in expenses directly from the testimonial fund, rather than from the club.

Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona () ( born 24 May 1966 ) is a French actor and former international footballer for the French national team.

In January 1992, Cantona arrived in England for a one-week trial with Sheffield Wednesday, managed by Trevor Francis, who were on course for a third place finish in the First Division just one season after promotion.

Cantona left Leeds for Manchester United for £ 1. 2 million on 26 November 1992.

Cantona made his first appearance for Manchester United in a friendly match against Benfica in Lisbon to mark Eusébio's 50th birthday, wearing the number 10 shirt.

However, Cantona quickly settled into the team, not only scoring goals but also creating chances for the other players.

The two successive red cards saw Cantona banned for five matches, including a FA Cup semi-final clash with Oldham Athletic, which United drew 1 – 1.

Cantona was available for the replay and helped them win 4 – 1.

Cantona was issued with the number 7 shirt ; a squad number which he kept for the rest of his career at United.

However, squad numbers were not set for the UEFA Champions League matches and Cantona wore the number 9 shirt in all four fixtures against Kispest Honved and Galatasaray respectively.

The season began with a 2 – 0 Wembley win over Blackburn Rovers in the Charity Shield, in which Cantona scored a penalty. Cantona frequently scored for United, who put intense pressure a Blackburn Rovers side that led the table for much of the season, particularly with a 4 – 2 win at Ewood Park in late October, in which Cantona was on the scoresheet.