Sporting Bygones: On this day 20 years ago, Leeds shipped Cantona to Old Trafford to inspire Red Devils’ revolution

IT is probably an anniversary no Leeds United supporter truly wants to acknowledge given the event that unfolded that day and its all too painful repercussions.

It is now 20 years since the Elland Road club completed perhaps the most surreal and unexpected piece of transfer business in their long history.

On November 26, 1992, Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson sanctioned the sale of Eric Cantona, their flamboyant and supremely-gifted French striker.

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Not only did he openly push for the deal, but he agreed a vastly undervalued fee of just £1.2m.

However, most pertinently for bemused Leeds fans, the experienced manager – who had just months before famously guided the Whites to the Division One title – let Cantona join, of all clubs, their fiercest rivals Manchester United.

Everyone knows what happens next; over the ensuing months, the brilliant talent acted as the crucial catalyst to inspire the Red Devils to their first title success in 26 years.

He became a legend in his own right at Old Trafford as Alex Ferguson’s side savoured a prolific period of glory which has yet to diminish.

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The sublime forward, with his clever flicks and innate vision, won four Premier League titles in just five years, leaving his mark of genius on the British game before typically shocking everyone by retiring in 1997 aged just 30.

Cantona tended to have a massive impact where ever he appeared.

Do not forget, he was only at Elland Road for nine short months yet quickly gained hero status among the Leeds faithful for his mesmerising football.

He scored just three goals in his 15 appearances during that title-winning season but his very presence and ability to excite not only charged up the crowd but lifted his team-mates to new heights too.

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The intriguing Frenchman, who spoke more of art, philosophy and politics than formations, tactics and systems, was nonchalance personified and so different to anything else Leeds had at their disposal, including the more prolific Lee Chapman.

Wilkinson’s Leeds side were efficient but often very predictable and their Gallic import crucially offered something different.

All of which begged the question: why was such a beguiling talent allowed to leave?

The story goes that Leeds managing director Bill Fotherby had called Manchester United’s chief executive Martin Edwards enquiring about the availability of Irish full-back Denis Irwin before conversation inadvertently turned towards Cantona.

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But, it seems, the Frenchman’s departure was always inevitable.

His relationship with hard taskmaster Wilkinson had soured and become fractious while Fotherby revealed to the Yorkshire Post that there was financial pressures involved too.

“Things weren’t going so well with him and Howard at the time,” he said.

“Howard had said to me ‘Bill, I hope you can find a way of moving him on because he is a problem’.

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“Howard was a very strict disciplinarian and also very keen on set pieces. There was an incident one week where Eric had walked off the training ground as he wouldn’t go in the position Howard wanted him, defending near a centre-half.

“Also, as part of his new contract at Leeds, there would have been a big financial payment to be made if Eric had stayed – £500,000 – so that was a problem for us too.

“Edwards asked would we consider letting Cantona go and I said ‘absolutely impossible’ but I’ll see what I can do.

“Howard was house hunting in Leeds that day but I just waited about an hour, maybe an hour and a half.

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“I told (assistant coach) Mick Hennigan what had happened and he said ‘If we could get to transfer him it’d be great.’

“I rang Edwards back and said ‘no way we’ll let him go’.

“But he made an offer and I said I’d try and get hold of Howard and get back to him.

“Now, it’s very rare in football that if you’re not interested you say you’ll get back in touch.

“I rang back and said Howard would listen to an offer if it’s good enough. We wanted £1.5m.

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“In the end we did a deal for £1.2m and I said it had to be done by 12 o’clock. It was and the rest is history.”

Fotherby added: “Leeds were always tight for money but, if Howard had wanted him, I would have found the money somehow like I always did.

“The manager always picks the player he wants and people like myself and the directors have to go along with it.

“It wasn’t our problem although, undoubtedly, he was a star. There’s no question about that.

“Cantona had some magic about him.”