Eric Cantona had class, charisma and an unrivalled ability to put the ball into the back of the net. To put it simply, the man never stopped scoring.
With the ability to beat the keeper with his head, goal-poach from a few yards out, or smack it into the top bins from a mile away, Cantona could well and truly do it all. So in a tribute to ‘King Eric,’ we’re looking back at the top five finishes of his career.
Read: Paul Scholes: Top 5 greatest goals (sporf.com)
5) Eric Cantona vs Sheffield United (1995)
The forward had a weird obsession with Sheffield United. He was diagnosed with a mysterious illness that prevented him from doing anything other than constantly disappointing ‘Blades’ fans by always scoring against them.
In a brilliant counter-attacking move, Cantona burst forward before sticking the ball in the goal with a trademark lob.
4) Eric Cantona vs Chelsea (1992)
While playing for Leeds, the great pulled off an absolute beauty. During his short spell at the club, Cantona won the league and showcased his genius on numerous occasions.
In a tremendous display, the icon bobbed and weaved his way through Chelsea’s backline before finishing the job to cement a 3-0 victory for his side.
3) Eric Cantona vs Wimbledon (1994)
This goal is brilliance personified and a lesson for defenders to always be aware of their surroundings. When an ignorant centre-half headed the ball out of the box, he had no idea the mistake he’d made.
With a gift for always being in the right position, Cantona controlled the ball with a beautiful first touch and volleyed it past a helpless goalkeeper, to send the fans into raptures.
2) Eric Cantona vs European XI (1998)
While it didn’t occur in a competitive fixture, this goal is undoubtedly one of the Frenchman’s best. In a game to commemorate those who lost their lives in the Munich Air Disaster, Manchester United hosted a fixture against a European XI.
The match was a fitting tribute to everyone involved in the harrowing event. And to mark the occasion, Cantona sprinkled a little bit of magic on proceedings. In a moment of individual brilliance, the striker left several defenders on their backsides before chipping the ball into the top corner.
1) Eric Cantona vs Sunderland (2006)
If you’ve got to this point, then you’re fully aware that we have a plethora of goals to pick from for the Frenchman’s number-one finish. But despite the choice, we couldn’t opt for anything other than his famous lob against Sunderland.
He beat two defenders, unleashed a snappy one-two with Brian McClair and lofted the ball over the keeper. And in typical Cantona fashion, he reacted with an iconic celebration, in which he looked around casually as if he did stuff like this in every single match.
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