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Gary Lineker
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Alan Shearer
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Micah Richards
Yeah.
Gary Lineker
Yes.
Alan Shearer
A certain King Eric. Eric Canton are the one and only. We spoke to him, didn't we, during the Euros in Berlin. He was a guest on our podcast and it was one of the episodes I joined and he was everything. Everything we expected he would be then.
Gary Lineker
He called me Michael. Michelle. Michael.
Alan Shearer
Something like that, wasn't it?
Gary Lineker
Yeah. I didn't have a clue who I was.
Alan Shearer
You know. Although you would have been. Would you have been a fan of his growing up? You were Leeds, obviously, Arkansas was your side, but you also like Leeds.
Micah Richards
What year were you born?
Gary Lineker
88.
Micah Richards
So you were. You were three or four when. When Leeds won the. When Leeds won the league.
Gary Lineker
The city was bouncing around the time when I was. Yeah, young.
Alan Shearer
My younger days too young. You wouldn't have remembered him.
Micah Richards
So Leeds won the last.
Alan Shearer
Leeds won the last thing before 92. 91. 92. And that was also the last English manager to win the top flight. It's mad that, isn't it? There's never been an English coach manager that's won the Premier League. I mean.
Gary Lineker
Yeah, but that's only because we employ foreign managers, though.
Alan Shearer
Yeah, but why? Because we haven't.
Gary Lineker
Because it's sexy. It's sexy, isn't it?
Alan Shearer
You think that's genuinely the case, though?
Gary Lineker
It's like, you know, you had Jermaine Jealous on this. And you wanted big Meeks. You wanted something a bit more sexy, didn't you? You know what I mean?
Alan Shearer
Christ, you're on fire. Flew well, aren't you?
Gary Lineker
I'll try.
Alan Shearer
Cantona once famously said, I play with passion and fire. I have to accept that sometimes this fire does harm. He was let's say not necessarily controversial figure, but he was. He was different.
Gary Lineker
Yeah.
Alan Shearer
Eric was different, wasn't he?
Gary Lineker
In a good way.
Micah Richards
Yeah.
Alan Shearer
I think mostly in a good way. I think you. I think so, yeah.
Micah Richards
Well, I think looking back at his. Looking back his career, both on and off the pitch, he was different. I mean if you speak to any of the my new boys, they will tell you how influential he was and how different he was. And it must be one of the bargains of all time. About 1.2 million, something like that. Wasn't it that when Sir Alex signed.
Alan Shearer
Him from Leeds and that caused issues, didn't it? I mean sign off of Leeds especially at least in that had won the title. Then you go Leeds to Manchester United and they were. I'm. I'm still are probably huge rivals. Particularly back then.
Gary Lineker
You can't go from Leeds to Man United.
Micah Richards
Rio did that as well though, didn't he? Rio Ferdinand.
Gary Lineker
Yeah. Yeah.
Alan Shearer
Judas. Judas.
Gary Lineker
Judas.
Micah Richards
Yeah, the old, the old collar up, wasn't it? It was like. I mean if you're gonna play with your collar up, then you have to.
Alan Shearer
You have to be good.
Micah Richards
You have to be good. Yeah, he was good. He was better than good.
Alan Shearer
He was seriously good.
Micah Richards
Yeah, he was. He was tough as well, wasn't. And he had the.
Gary Lineker
What's he like to play? Arrogance.
Micah Richards
Had the arrogance. Had this. Did you?
Alan Shearer
Yeah. I played in the last season before it turned to the Premier League, didn't I? I was at Tottenham. Yeah. Yes. When they won the league, so.
Gary Lineker
Oh, was it?
Alan Shearer
Yeah.
Micah Richards
Yeah.
Gary Lineker
Where did you finish that year?
Alan Shearer
We suppose we weren't very good. We got financial problems and we sold, you know, one or two players. We couldn't get any new players in. We were all right. We won the cup the previous season and we had a decent enough run in the Cup Winners cup without going too for like quarterfinals or something.
Gary Lineker
What was it like when he was on the pitch though? Did he just have the aura?
Alan Shearer
Yeah, he was one of those players that had something about him. Even if it was self induced in. In a way it was his own. I mean he could back it up. He could back it up with his ability. I mean he obviously he was one of those players.
Micah Richards
I Think where it was like, give me the ball. Yeah, I'll give me the ball. As in to say, I'll do something with it and I'll look after the rest of the teammates. And more often not. He did that, didn't he?
Alan Shearer
Yeah, he. He had a kind of tough time with France early on as well. And then he. Then he gave up playing international football at a very young age. And so he was. He was always different. And I think even when he went to Manchester United and we. We got our first moment here. Let's have a look at his. His first goal. I think he came in his fourth appearance. Nothing particularly special about that one. I'd call it a proper goal.
Micah Richards
The old Stamford Bridge.
Alan Shearer
Yeah.
Micah Richards
Is it? Yeah. He was big and strong as well, you know, wasn't it?
Alan Shearer
Oh, yeah. And I think that sort of announced him. I think even S. Ferguson says that he had to manage him differently toward the other players, which some people say, well, as a. As a coach, as a manager, everyone. You have to treat everyone the same.
Gary Lineker
No, no, I don't agree with that.
Alan Shearer
Well, I don't think you can. Can you, sometimes, particularly with someone like that who's so different.
Gary Lineker
Do you need managing, Al Banner asides?
Micah Richards
No, I was. No, not really. No. But he was different and special, wasn't he?
Alan Shearer
So.
Micah Richards
And I guess, you know, you have these set rules for. For all players and everyone should go along with those. But then there are people that are different and are going to be late, and sometimes you just have to accept them and say, well, they're going to win you more points than you.
Gary Lineker
Well, the reason I asked. I was going to ask you the same thing as well, guys, is because you. Lot of special players, wouldn't you. So was you and the camper being treated differently?
Alan Shearer
I don't know. I don't know because we were probably. I think we were probably fairly predictably on time all the time. We didn't, you know, we didn't cause a rumpus, particularly. I don't. I'm speaking for you, but I sense that's the case where someone like. I think. I can't remember who tells the story. One of the old United players might have been someone like Ryan Giggs. Apparently that Fergie was a sticker for the suit and the tie and all this. And he said, you know, and he. He had to go at one of the players for not wearing it. And then Cantona walks on the bus and he's not wearing a tie at all. And he says, absolutely nothing. Something along Those lines and it's just that. And they've gone.
Micah Richards
Well, why is he.
Alan Shearer
Because, you know, he wins the game. He wins the game. If he win. If he wins the game. That's all that count. He certainly won them a lot of football matches. This episode is powered by Fuse Energy. Winter is all about energy. Switching on Christmas lights, warming your home for a cozy night in keeping the TV on for all the festive fixtures.
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Alan Shearer
For more information about land referrals and energy powering the full festive fixture list, head head to landfuseenergy.com and also of course he was hugely influential in ending United Strat. What was it? 26 years without a top flight title?
Gary Lineker
Let's go to Man City.
Alan Shearer
That was Mark Hughes. Just knock him on through. I played with.
Micah Richards
Yes, a magnificent equalizer by Manchester United.
Alan Shearer
Eric Cantona, well, good header too.
Micah Richards
He could do a bit of everything, couldn't he? Good like that on the floor. Technically, very good. Very, very good. Yeah.
Gary Lineker
You mentioned ending the drought. You played for Blackburn and then won that trophy. I've spoken about Man City as well in terms of winning that first trophy. For so long. I was always coming, I would say, with the players that we were signing, but trying to get over the line, especially when you're up against someone like Sir Alex Ferguson, was always going to be difficult.
Micah Richards
Well, Eric on the pod actually said we had him to thank for Blackburn winning the title cuz he, he was banned for the last sort of few months of that season and he says if he had have been playing we wouldn't have won that title. I beg to differ on that one because I reckon we, I reckon, I reckon we should have won it this season beforehand with Blackburn.
Gary Lineker
How many points was it you won the league?
Micah Richards
I'm not sure.
Alan Shearer
Was it yours? Cuz you had.
Micah Richards
We went to the last year we lost on the last day. Anfield and Man United didn't win at West Ham.
Alan Shearer
Ye.
Gary Lineker
Yeah.
Micah Richards
One more. So that Gave us the title. But we were in a really, really good position this season before as well. And it was only our inexperience that cost us, I think.
Gary Lineker
Did you believe you could win it at the start of the season, though?
Micah Richards
Maybe not. In our first season, I think we finished fourth. Fourth or fifth in our first season. Then our second season, we thought this might be it and we finished second that year and as I said, we should have won it. But the third year, when we did win it, then we were really, really confident up until the last game or two. Then we were petrified.
Gary Lineker
You can't speak about the nerves, though.
Micah Richards
Yeah, it was. The nerves were like even.
Gary Lineker
Look at. We've talked about the Man City QPR game, where it was just a crazy roller coaster game. What was going through your mind, you know, go there, win, you win the league, and then you end up. What you say you lost the game.
Micah Richards
We lost the game on Footfield, Yeah. Yeah. We were miles in front of Man United, were claw on us back, and because of our lack of experience, we hadn't won it. Whereas United had won it the previous two years in 92, 93 and 93, 94. And then it was just that they were coming back at us and we'd never won it. Little old Blackburn coming in and taking.
Gary Lineker
Amazing.
Micah Richards
Taking the might of Man United on and beating them. So, yeah, it was. It was a nervy time, man. But Eric says we wouldn't have won it if he hadn't been suspended.
Alan Shearer
We'll come to that shortly. But in 1994, when they. After, obviously they won, he was PFA.
Micah Richards
Footballer of the Year, and rightly so as well. He made such a difference, I think, to that. I mean, it was one of the best signings of all time. That was for Manchester United. And forgetting him for 1.2 million, what.
Gary Lineker
Would you say his best attributes were? Just a bit of everything. Good at everything. I only saw his goals, obviously. I was young, but he scored some special goals.
Micah Richards
Everything about. He just had a.
Gary Lineker
Bellingham, you know, in terms of different kind of players, but similar aura.
Alan Shearer
Similar aura. He's a bit more left field. Cantona, I think. Jude's straight, but confident. Confident, yeah, but Eric was confident, but also slightly wacky, I think. I don't think it's unfair to say that. I mean it in the nicest possible way, but summed up, I suppose, by the infamous kung fu kick at Crystal palace, which was, you know, quite extraordinary, really, wasn't it?
Micah Richards
It was, yeah.
Alan Shearer
I mean, I was actually one of the very first times that I ever did punditry for the BBC, and it was on a midweek and it was a sports night. I was on with Des Lyneham and he came to me after it and he. That was the first bit I had to do on punditry was to describe what had happened to Cantona. And I just went, well, it's absolutely unacceptable. Something like that. And I thought, oh, God, I didn't really want to talk about this. But I mean, I remember sitting there in this, you know, like, we watched the games, right? Match of the day. It wasn't a match of the day then. It was a sports night, because it was a Wednesday night, I think, certainly midweek. And just sitting there going, oh, my God, did he just do that?
Micah Richards
Yeah, that guy. That guy there, the kit man or whoever it was. When he's walking off with him, just go back. He tries to grab all of him. Mrs. Actually Mrs.
Alan Shearer
Him.
Gary Lineker
What did he. Apparently, what was said to him?
Alan Shearer
He said it was. He described it as racial slurs, but I think it was directed at the fact that he was French. That kind of stuff.
Micah Richards
He tries to grab it. You can't grab him. I mean, goodness me.
Alan Shearer
It really is extraordinary. It's actually that. I mean, he talked about it and then obviously after that, you had the lengthy ban they gave him for it.
Micah Richards
I think it was six months, something like that.
Alan Shearer
And then also, of course, he came out with the. That remarkable quote about trawlers.
Gary Lineker
And what was that?
Alan Shearer
Got it here. The quote was, when the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.
Gary Lineker
What does that mean?
Alan Shearer
Only Eric really knows that. But I think what he's saying there is. He's basically looking at having a go at the press, I think, for kind of around him, and they're looking for, like, scraps being thrown. I don't know, something along those lines. There you go, John. Thank you.
Gary Lineker
We should ask him on the pod, shouldn't we?
Alan Shearer
He's been on the pod. I think we talked about it. We did talk about it. Yeah. I mean, he's. Yeah.
Gary Lineker
I love all that, though.
Alan Shearer
It's different. And you want different, don't you? We want different because we work in the. In the business of football. We work in the media. And whether it's on television or podcasts or whatever, we, we. We. That sort of stuff's great because it gives you something else to talk about.
Gary Lineker
Yeah. He mentioned on the pod about his family, didn't he? He tried to keep him away from.
Alan Shearer
Keeps him away. No phone, nothing like this. He wants him to look at the mountains and the trees and the sky. I totally get that. Yeah.
Micah Richards
You remember people instead of your head down on your phone like that. And he said he wants his kids to go out, look up and talk to people.
Alan Shearer
I think going from perhaps the ugly side of the game in many ways, and whatever you feel about that, it wasn't. It wasn't a great moment for football to one of the great moments in football and that was his brilliant chip. You would have enjoyed it more than most because it's against Sunderland.
Micah Richards
Cantona.
Alan Shearer
How to create space. And then we passed a couple of defenders. Mla. Here's Cantona. He's done it. That is magnificent by Cantona. I love this. I love the celebration.
Micah Richards
But he. He plays a huge part in him actually getting into that position anyway with the way he sort of turns and goes past. I mean, look at that. Just on the halfway line. Look, the turn. There you go. See you later. And then the little give and go. One, two, get it back. I think it's Brian McLare that gives him the little one, two. But then that. I mean, the finish is amazing. But then it's like, look at me. King of arrived is. Call it up.
Alan Shearer
Wow, what a finish. That was lucky. Nearly.
Micah Richards
That's one of the standout goals for me that I was like. I was. You know, you mentioned Eric Cantona. That's one of the goals that just jumps out. Because I think that that. That epitomizes everything about who and what he is. You know, we talk about the arrogance and the collar up, but also the ability to get there and then do that at the end was like, proper player.
Alan Shearer
You never know what you were going to get with him. It was always, you know, suddenly there's a shop genius retirement. You know, there's no moments of genius. But also just. I mean, when we interviewed him as well, which was. I mean, at the end he just kind of walked off, remember?
Gary Lineker
Yeah.
Alan Shearer
Talked about something about a goat.
Micah Richards
See you later.
Alan Shearer
See you later. And he was gone off. Yeah, that was it.
Micah Richards
We haven't seen or spoke to him since.
Alan Shearer
No, no, he's not sent flowers, anything.
Gary Lineker
Why did he retire at 30? What was the reason behind that?
Alan Shearer
I think he just. He's the sort of person that. I've had enough of this. That's what he said, wasn't it? I just.
Micah Richards
Ah, fine.
Alan Shearer
Done international football. He went really young, really young.
Micah Richards
Does things differently to everyone else. I don't mind that. Yeah.
Alan Shearer
His messages are often cryptic and let's put it that way.
Micah Richards
Top player.
Alan Shearer
Yeah.
Micah Richards
Unbelievable player.
Alan Shearer
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Micah Richards
Tino Aspria was similar and that was a bit of a maverick.
Alan Shearer
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gaza, Gaza, definitely. Gaza, definitely. In all sorts of different ways. My hero growing up was Frank Worthington. All right.
Micah Richards
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Alan Shearer
I mean, I ended up joining Leicester when I was 16 and Frank was my hero. I loved him, he was such a graceful footballer. And I kind of cleaned the home team dressing room for about six months before he left. And then he left, so we overlapped slightly. And he was always lovely, but he used to come in in cowboy clothes and he used to call him Elvis because he wear like all this sort of stuff. And he was a real character. So you get a few of those people. Balotelli, Mustang, Mario. What a guy you need.
Gary Lineker
That's even worse than he was, though. He was such a good human.
Alan Shearer
Yeah.
Gary Lineker
Top. He got up to some nonsense at times, but yeah, he was a bit of a man.
Alan Shearer
Yeah.
Gary Lineker
Remember the game where he came late? It was in Russia and he just come out to the pitch late, the game had kicked off and onto the pitch.
Alan Shearer
Oh, that's a recurring night. That's a recurring nightmare. I have not getting my kit on ready and being late for a kickoff. Have you ever had that one?
Gary Lineker
Really?
Alan Shearer
Oh, I don't get it now so much, but when I was a player, honestly, I had this recurring dream, you know, like you get those dreams. I had one or two. One was a plane that couldn't take, like takes off and then can't get up. But the main one was getting my kit on my shin pads and the team's all going out and I can't get my boots on and I'm thinking, oh, I need to play. What about.
Gary Lineker
I have that one where you're running and you run in nowhere. Yeah, you just keep running and the monster's chasing you. I have that. We've not had that one.
Alan Shearer
Was that when you was at Mel B. Sorry, Melbourne. I didn't mean she was a monster. Oh, when you're in.
Gary Lineker
You're in bed and you're trying to get up, but he can't get up. You're awake. Have you had that?
Alan Shearer
No, I'm not that I've had that. I've had ones where have you had dreams where you. Six yard boxing, you can't get in. People are in the way all the time.
Micah Richards
You keep on taking your meds and everything will be all right.
Alan Shearer
And the other one have got on the golf te and you put a te in the ball and then there's bushes in the way. And you can't. Everyone else is okay. And everyone's waiting for you to tear off. And you can't honestly never run that well. You never play golf. Golf. True. Have you had that one?
Micah Richards
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Alan Shearer
It's horrible. So weird. It's so weird. And what.
Gary Lineker
What.
Alan Shearer
Anyway, but other. What other mavericks were they now?
Gary Lineker
Mavericks.
Alan Shearer
Paolo de Cano, when he. Remember when he shoved the. I mean, you shouldn't laugh at those things, but that was.
Micah Richards
Can you remember the referee's name?
Gary Lineker
I remember his face, not his name.
Micah Richards
Can you.
Gary Lineker
Small little fellow, wasn't he?
Alan Shearer
Go on.
Micah Richards
Paul Alcock, I think.
Alan Shearer
Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's been a lot of.
Gary Lineker
Anymore. Anymore for anyone?
Alan Shearer
Oh, there's a few. Alan Burchell, that was at Leicester.
Gary Lineker
Could you name someone in this curry? The viewers and the listeners will know.
Alan Shearer
No, I'm talking about my time.
Gary Lineker
There's no footage of your time.
Alan Shearer
20 years your time. Everyone's boring.
Gary Lineker
Yeah, they are.
Alan Shearer
I give you that. Plays are. All in all, nobody says anything untoward anymore.
Micah Richards
We need.
Alan Shearer
We need more mavericks. We need more cantonars in this world.
Gary Lineker
We do, we do.
Alan Shearer
That's what we do in the football world. So I'm not sure of any others.
Gary Lineker
There must be some more.
Alan Shearer
Yeah, there's a few shit houses, but that.
Gary Lineker
That's.
Alan Shearer
That's different.
Gary Lineker
Yeah.
Alan Shearer
In the nicest possible way.
Gary Lineker
He's a house. He's a good house, but he's a house.
Alan Shearer
You're legend. Don't ever know. I love him. I love him.
Gary Lineker
I won't say a bad word about him.
Alan Shearer
But he's Leicester's Eric Cantona. He'll never be forgotten, though, will he? Not in the Premier League. I don't think it will always be a legend. Yeah, he's exactly that.
Micah Richards
Well, they still sing his name now. Old Trafford now in the games.
Alan Shearer
Oh, yeah, they do.
Micah Richards
Which tells you how funny if I.
Alan Shearer
Went to Sellers, which is obviously where the kung fu kick happened a couple of weeks ago to watch palace against Man United and all the United fans. For the first 20 minutes, probably we're singing Cantona for office reasons, because it's at Crystal Palace. But I don't think they'll ever forget. And I think it'll always be attributed to massive part of that success that Manchester United had. And it all started with. With him and that signing and the difference he made, I think.
Micah Richards
Yep.
Gary Lineker
Yeah. When you think Monday night and you think Canton.
Alan Shearer
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think you do. Unless you're a lead stuff, then you probably still think Cantona for entirely different reasons. Okay, that's it for this episode of the Resties Football. Goodbye from me.
Gary Lineker
Goodbye from you.
Micah Richards
Goodbye from me.
Alan Shearer
Spring break isn't what it used to be. It's better this spring. Stay three nights and get a $50 Best Western gift card. Life's a trip.
Micah Richards
Make the most of it at Bestwestern.
Alan Shearer
Visit Bestwestern.com for complete terms and conditions.
Date: February 11, 2026
Hosts: Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards
In this episode, Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards dedicate their "Premier League greats" series to Eric Cantona—one of football's true mavericks and a transformative figure for Manchester United and English football. From his electrifying on-field impact to infamous controversies and unique personality, the discussion traces the moments that defined Cantona’s legacy and the ripple effect he had on teams, managers, and football culture.
Alan Shearer on Cantona’s impact:
“He was seriously good.” [04:29]
“You never know what you were going to get with him. It was always, suddenly there’s a shot of genius or retirement.” [17:01]
On the kung fu kick:
“It’s absolutely unacceptable… just sitting there going, ‘Oh my God, did he just do that?’” – Alan Shearer [12:48]
On the famous trawler quote:
“‘When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.’ Only Eric really knows what that means.” – Alan Shearer [14:21]
On his retirement:
“He’s the sort of person that, ‘I’ve had enough of this.’ That’s what he said, wasn’t it?” – Alan Shearer [17:30]
On mavericks:
“We need more mavericks. We need more Cantonars in this world.” – Alan Shearer [23:52]
As always, Lineker, Shearer, and Richards blend nostalgia, humor, and sharp football insight. They openly admire Cantona’s boldness and lament the lack of similar personalities in today’s game while trading playful jabs and honest recollections, true to the show’s trademark style.
Summary:
This episode serves as a fitting tribute to Eric Cantona—the genius, the enigma, and the maverick. Through dressing room anecdotes, divisive moments, and admiration for his lasting legacy, the hosts celebrate a player whose story is inseparable from the modern history of Manchester United and the Premier League.