Eric Cantona claims he proposed returning to Manchester United in a newly created role, only for his advances to be knocked back.
The former French international, who won four Premier League titles with United before retiring in 1997, put forward his proposal after a meeting with Ed Woodward in 2021. Woodward served as executive vice-chairman at United before leaving the club last season and had overseen a number of underwhelming transfer windows and managerial appointments.
United have appointed other former players to significant roles, with former manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer and current technical director Darren Fletcher chief among them. However, Cantona will not be making a return to Old Trafford.
“Last year, I proposed to the club to change their way,” Cantona told The Athletic. "Ed Woodward is great at marketing but not great at football.
"United should have a chairman and then they should have a president of marketing and then a president of football, who is in charge of all the decisions in football. So I proposed to them that I should be president of football.”
“I met him a few times. But they did not accept it! I still think me or somebody else, they should have somebody for football. It should be somebody from the club, who knows football and the club.”
The 56-year-old, who briefly held a director of soccer role with American side New York Cosmos a decade ago, has recognised United's ability to increase revenues but still believes more progress could have been made. "So imagine if you succeed in football and also have great people in marketing, then instead of doubling the revenue, then you would treble it," he said.
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Cantona maintains the football director role currently held by John Murtough is not the same as what he had in mind. And, while lamenting his former club's reluctance to create the role he suggested for himself, the former Leeds United forward is pleased that he at least tried to get the club on board.
He also claims Sir Alex Ferguson, his manager at Old Trafford in the 90s, approved of his plan. However, after being introduced to Woodward by the Scot, Cantona's efforts ultimately didn't result in the changes he hoped for.
“I felt guilty not trying to help this club to do better," Cantona continued. "I said to myself, ‘For five years I will put everything on hold and concentrate 100 per cent on that’. And if I concentrate 100 per cent on that, then I can tell you, I would do it very well.
“Now I feel good with myself. I tried. So nobody in my family can say I did not try anything to help United. They do not want it. That’s their choice. But I tried it.”
