There are two landmark moments in Cantona's career in England. The first is when he joined Leeds, the second is when Howard Wilkinson decided to accept Manchester United's offer to sign the French forward. At Leeds, however, Cantona was still largely a good rather than a great player. It was only when he joined United that his brilliance started to emerge.

If Alex Ferguson was the mastermind behind United's success, Cantona was undeniably the charismatic leader who ensured that no one strayed from reaching the high standards set by the club.