Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Keane, Best: Eric Cantona's all-time XI

Eric Cantona is a bona fide footballing legend.

The Frenchman remains one of the Premier League’s greatest ever players thanks to his heroic exploits under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

Cantona was signed from arch rivals Leeds United in 1992 and proved to be the catalyst for an era of dominance at Old Trafford.

In his five years at United, ‘King Eric’ scored 81 goals, assisted a further 62 and won nine trophies – including four Premier League titles.

The man is an icon and despite the fact his game time on the international stage was limited due to the presence of Zinedine Zidane, Cantona still managed to bag 20 goals in just 45 appearances for Les Bleus.

Yeah, he was pretty darn good, so when someone who has achieved as much in the sport as Cantona has speaks, you hang on every single word.

Especially when it’s him naming his ‘perfect XI’…

Back in 2006, the folks over at FourFourTwo asked Cantona to pick his team and some very interesting selections were made.

Former United colleague Roy Keane made the cut, while the likes of Pele, Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario all missed out.

Obviously due to the fact the team was chosen in 2006, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo do not feature either.

So, let’s take a look at Cantona’s picks…

Cantona said: “Yes, he did tricks, but he was also a great keeper. I loved his energy, his excitement, his desire to take risks. He made mistakes, but he had a real spirit for the game. The Scorpion was against England, wasn’t it? He kept the ball out and that’s all that matters. I want entertainers in my team.”

Cantona said: “He was a strong player, a real man. He played a big role in that great Brazil side from the 1982 World Cup – some say the greatest ever team not to win the