Cantona's world of sardines, fat managers and early retirement

When the seagulls follow the trawler it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. (Eric Cantona, 31 March 1995).

Ol' grande tete was in the mood to cast a few more juicy sprats yesterday. He shared his thoughts on Sir Alex Ferguson ("he will die on the Manchester United bench"); Roy Keane; why he retired too soon ­ and just what he meant when he delivered the above words at a press conference following his trial for karate-kicking a Crystal Palace fan.

Eric Cantona was in London to accept the award for being voted the Overseas Player of the Decade, the decade being the first 10 years of the Premiership. Not bad considering he walked away from it all in 1997 having just turned 31 to pursue a career in acting and, latterly, beach football. But few can doubt his influence both as a player and a character. It was much in evidence yesterday.

Take Keane who, surprisingly, did not make it into the Premiership's Team of the Decade ­ although seven Manchester United players did. "For me he is the player of the decade," said Cantona in English which, he admitted, was more than a little out of practice. "He impressed me a lot when I was in Manchester and he was the key player in the team ­ he deserves the prize. Perhaps he has got a strange character. Sometimes that does not help him. It is very sad."

On Ferguson he was equally vigorous. "He was the perfect manager," said the man who brought Manchester United their first championship in 26 years. "I needed to blossom and to do that I needed to love somebody and respect somebody 100 per cent.

"He was very obsessive about what we had to do in training, what we had to drink and when we slept. Sometimes in England managers do not set an example. They are fat and drink beer. How can players respect a manager like that who would drink and not stay fit? He showed an example to us... I was 25 when I went there and it was the best time for my career."

Indeed it was. Check back on Cantona's volatile impact on English football and it is still astonishing to recall what he achieved. Arriving at Leeds United in 1992 following a colourful career in France ­ after of course refusing to undergo a trial at Sheffield Wednesday ­ he won the league. That November he moved to Manchester United for £1.2m and won the championship again. The following year it was the league and FA Cup double, then in 1996 it was the double again. In 1997, Manchester United were champions for the fourth time in five years. The only year they missed out is the one during which Cantona was banned for eight months.

Then he retired, having made 191 appearances and scored 88 goals for Manchester United, although now he admits it was premature. He is, after all, younger than Gianfranco Zola. "When you quit football it is not easy, your life becomes difficult. I should know because sometimes I feel I quit too young.

"I loved the game but I no longer had the passion to go to bed early, not to go out with my friends, not to drink, and not to do a lot of other things ­ the things I like in life," he said, with a rueful smile, rubbing his stubbly, and a little more rounded, chin.

So what of his former manager's ­ now postponed ­ thoughts of retirement? "I think he should continue. That is his passion, his life and I hope he will continue and I am sure he will. He likes other things in life but football is his life," Cantona said. "Alex Ferguson loves the game. He will die on the bench of Manchester United. I'm sure of that."

Sitting alongside Cantona was Alan Shearer ­ voted the British player of the decade. In the XI chosen in a 4-4-2 formation by visitors to Premier League's website (750,000 people registered to vote from 184 countries), the two formed the strike partnership. It could, of course, have happened in real life if Shearer had taken up Ferguson's offer (twice) to go to Old Trafford. The Newcastle United captain ­ wearing a smart, light grey suit in contrast to Cantona's dark open-necked shirt, slacks and loafers ­ joked that he did not go because he could not get it written into his contract that it would be he and not Cantona who took the penalties. At least, it was probably a joke, surely? Later this month one of the two will be named overall player of the decade.

So what about that fishy comment? It was beaten in the voting for best soundbite by Kevin Keegan's embarrassing, emotional outburst live on television, when Newcastle's then manager said that he would "love it" if they beat Manchester United to the championship. Nevertheless, Cantona admitted that, well, he didn't know what he meant either. "I just had to say something," he said. "I was dreaming the night before and wrote things down and put them together. It should mean something but we don't know exactly." Even after all this time.

PREMIERSHIP AWARDS OF THE DECADE

TEAM OF DECADE (4-4-2): Peter Schmeichel; Gary Neville, Tony Adams, Marcel Desailly, Denis Irwin; David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Patrick Vieira, Ryan Giggs; Alan Shearer, Eric Cantona.

Domestic player: Alan Shearer

Overseas player: Eric Cantona

Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson

Commentator: Martin Tyler

Outstanding contribution: Alan Shearer

Quote: Kevin Keegan's "I would love it"

Most Premier League appearances: Gary Speed

Top goal-scorer: Alan Shearer

Goalkeeper with most clean sheets: David Seaman

Scorer of the 10,000th Premier League goal: Les Ferdinand

Manager in charge for the most number of premier league matches: Sir Alex Ferguson