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25 years on from Eric Cantona's debut in English football... the bizarre story of how the Frenchman ended up at Leeds via trial in an indoor match for Sheffield Wednesday

There are few names in football that bring with them as much mystique as Eric Cantona.

Rightfully nicknamed ‘Le Roi (The King)’ by fans of Manchester United, Cantona changed the club’s fortunes, inspiring a rise under Alex Ferguson that defined the modern era of the game.

Twenty-five years ago today Cantona made his first competitive appearance in England. It was not in a red shirt but in the white of Leeds United.

Eric Cantona came to England in 1991 after a troubled spell in his home country of France
Eric Cantona came to England in 1991 after a troubled spell in his home country of France
Eric Cantona with a bag of balls while training in France
Cantona was banned for a month after a disciplinary hearing for throwing a ball at a referee while at Nimes - he later declared his career was over
Cantona was banned for a month for throwing a ball at a referee

The story of how he came to these shores is as full of twists as the career that followed.