Eric Cantona show draws boos and complaints

Daniel Roberts
Eric Cantona: Liverpool star the best I've played with

Eric Cantona: Liverpool star the best I've played with

Eric Cantona has stunned Manchester United fans by stating his greatest ever team-mate is a former Liverpool and Leeds player. 

During Cantona’s current speaking tour, the Frenchman has revealed that Gary McAllister was the best player he ever played alongside during his career.

The pair played together at Leeds United when the Yorkshire outfit won the First Division title back in 1991/92, the year before the Premier League format was introduced.

Cantona moved across to United in the November after lifting the title with Leeds, going on to play with the likes of Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

He won further titles at the Red Devils, including four league titles and two FA Cups, but the title-winning season under Howard Wilkinson at Leeds lives long in the memory of Cantona, stating McAllister, who played for two of United’s fierce rivals, was the best player he ever played with.

McAllister spent six years at Elland Road and later joined Liverpool in 2000, after a spell at Coventry City.

Although the midfielder was a shock signing for the Reds, who were then managed by Gerard Houllier, McAllister added class to the Liverpool midfield. He enjoyed a two-year spell at the club scoring crucial goals in the side’s triumphant UEFA, FA and League Cup treble.

When Cantona revealed his choice, sections of the crowd at the Bournemouth International Centre booed his decision.

On top of that negative backlash, Cantona’s speaking tour has received further criticism after the show at the BIC, with fans demanding a refund on the ‘poor’ and ‘disorganised’ show.

Fans complained that their hero was only on stage for 45 minutes, while an ‘inapropiate’ comedian offended the crowd, according to the Bournemouth Daily Echo.

Terry Baker, the organiser of the show, defended it, declaring: “I don’t see why so much fuss was made about it. These events go on up and down the country every day of the week – the standard format is comedian, auction, celebrity.

“We had a standing ovation from the crowd when Eric came on stage. Afterwards, I timed his appearance on the VT, and it was 54 minutes. The press release about the event said the interview would be an hour.

“We can only ask a certain number of questions,” he continued. “There were 19 about his football career, and six about his film career and personal life.

“On the night, we didn’t hear any complaints apart from one about the comedian. People were saying it was a fantastic night, but since then we’ve had loads of people complaining, jumping on the bandwagon.”