Eric Cantona launches surprise singer-songwriter career

Footballer-turned-actor Eric Cantona has revealed he is ready to try his hand at a music career.

Over the years, Cantona has played for Auxerre, Cordeaux, Leeds United, Manchester United, Marseille, Martigues, Montpellier and Nimes. He also played for the French national team.

The French star is often regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation. He played a significant role in Manchester United’s success in the 1990s and was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in recent years as a result.

Affectionately called King Eric by many, he was convicted of assaulting an abusive spectator in 1995 and given a two-week prison sentence, which he served as community service. He was also suspended from football for eight months.

Soon after, in 1997, Cantona announced that he was retiring from football aged 30.

He quickly jumped into a career in cinema, appearing in Elizabeth as Monsieur de Foix alongside Cate Blanchett.

Cantona has been in countless movies ever since, including The Salvation, You and the Night, and Marie and the Misfits. He has also produced and directed.

Now, he is ready to conquer the world of music, it seems. He revealed that he acquired singing and songwriting skills during lockdowns, and is getting ready to make his live singing debut across the UK and Ireland.

After teasing it with a short video clip posted on Instagram the week before, on Friday June 2, Cantona released his first single entitled The Friends We Lost.

The newbie musician has also started encouraging his fans to join the CantonaSingsEric club to receive meet and greet, and live event opportunities.

In addition, he is performing in Manchester on October 26 at Stoller Hall, then at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre on October 28. He is also at Dublin’s Liberty Hall on October 31. After that, he will head for Lyon, Geneve, Marseille and Paris. Alongside his tour announcement, Cantona shared that there would be more to come.

He said: “Next year, I’ll be playing with a band but, for now, I’m starting with a modest piano to play alongside me in intimate venues. I’ll be starting in Manchester because it’s a city that has stayed with me so much for the football, of course, but also the general atmosphere.”