Eric Cantona on his musical reinvention: 'I was a rock star before I became a footballer. I was born with it'
For the five years Eric Cantona graced the Old Trafford pitch, Manchester United fans would serenade their hero with the chant “Ooh aah Cantona”. Now, some 27 years after he retired from football, he’s singing back.
The mercurial French playmaker today embarks on a 14-date tour, starting in Rotterdam and taking in London and Manchester, just days after the release of his debut live album Cantona Sings Eric – First Tour Ever with songs recorded from performances he did last year.
His move into music should come as no surprise – this renaissance man has already re-invented himself as an actor, with numerous credits to his name including the big budget Elizabeth, Ken Loach film Looking for Eric and Netflix series Inhuman Resources – and has also dabbled in painting and poetry.
“I have been passionate about the arts since forever,” he says, when we speak him at his home in Lisbon, me at mine in south London. “I was always sure
