Cantona: The Rebel Who Would Be King

I'm about halfway through this pretty intriguing biography of Eric Cantona. It's not actually a biography, as it covers only Cantona's life in football (allowing for a little childhood background) but it's not short of incidents. Here's one excerpt, explaining the fall-out from a game in France where Cantona threw the ball at the referee:

"Cantona was hauled in front of the FA's disciplinary committee.He apologised for his action, and requested to be treated like any other player, expecting the customary two-game ban which punished any misdemeanour of this kind. But the response of the panel chairman Jacques Riolacci cut him to the quick. The apparatchik handed out a four-match suspension, adding, unforgivably: 'You can't be judged like any other player. Behind you is a trail which smells of sulphur. Anything can be expected from an individualist like you'"

The author, Philippe Auclair, is a respected journalist and he even appears on the very good Guardian Football Weekly pod from time to time. So far, he seems to be quite balanced and sympathetic in his descriptions of the 'cult of Cantona', though I haven't really got far into his time at Manchester United.

I have to put my hand up here and say that even though I'm a Spurs fan, I did enjoy watching Cantona play. But probably more than his exquisite skill, I liked his 'collar up, I don't give a toss' style, on and off the pitch. I reckon that's what separated him from the regular slew of talented footballers of his era.