Eric Cantona had confidence but he never had ego.
He knew he was good but, more importantly, he knew why he was so good and it boiled down to hard work.
Any footballer would tell you the same. It isn’t because of freak luck that they just so happened to reach the top one day. Yes, some men obviously have more talent than others but they also want it more.
Eric Cantona wanted it.
He’s spoken before about the drug that football is and, for him, the addiction was self-improvement. He was obsessed with making himself better and overcoming challenges that he initially failed at and that amounted to one of the most stunning careers in world football.
On JOE’s Unfiltered show, James O’Brien got right inside the beautiful mind of the enigma that is Eric Cantona but some of it was really just simple.
“I remember when I was at the academy, some players were great technically, physically. But when they were 14 or 15, they were like they knew everything,” Cantona warned.
“They didn’t listen to advice and then they didn’t succeed. They never played in the first team and now they’re a banker, maybe.”
Even now, the formula is basic. It’s just self-fulfillment. Set the goal, work to meet it. Enjoy the journey.
“I trained hard and I loved to train hard. I love to train,” the Frenchman repeated on Unfiltered.
“I loved going to training in the morning and I loved to train hard. And I loved the moment when you train hard and you’re proud of yourself and you take a shower and then you feel unbelievable.”
After retiring at 30 though, Cantona brought an abrupt end to a magical playing career and an end to that feeling you get after training.
He replaces it now with theatre in his acting career.
“It gives you adrenaline and you need to work,” he said.
“It’s the same thing – you have to work very hard to find the confidence and with the confidence – because you work hard – you can enjoy it.
“It’s a different game but it’s a passion that gives you adrenaline.
“Nothing compares to sport, football especially. But cinema, theatre, it’s very exciting and you have to find your own way to work, to find this confidence. I always said football was an art but some people didn’t want to accept it. I think it’s an art, it’s very creative.”
Listen below to the full show.
