Graeme Souness turned down the chance to sign Eric Cantona for Liverpool, before he went on to become a Manchester United icon, according to a new interview.
Cantona became a hero for the Red Devils in his No. 7 shirt, which paved the way for other legends in the same number, including David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But a French icon pitched Souness the idea of signing Cantona in November 1991 while he was at the helm at Anfield, only for the Liverpool boss to reject a move for the man, who was playing at Nimes at the time.
In a podcast alongside Jim White, Souness told talkSPORT: ‘I’ll tell you a story about Eric Cantona. I’m manager of Liverpool and we play Auxerre in the UEFA Cup.
Graeme Souness revealed he was offered the chance to sign Eric Cantona for Liverpool
Cantona was at French club Nimes, but Michel Platini was pushing for a move to England
The Frenchman eventually became a four time Premier League winner at Manchester United
‘We lost 2-0 there and we came back and beat them 3-0. I was in my office and a guy called Terry Littlewood, who was in charge of security from my office, he controlled the corridor.
‘He knocked on my door and said someone wants to come and see you. I said, “Who is it?” He said, “it’s Michel Platini”.
‘So he came in and I’ve only ever played against him a few times and only ever tried to kick him. So I wasn’t exactly his mate but he gave me a hug, kissed me on both cheeks, and ends up saying, “I’ve got a player for you, he is perfect for you. He’s a problem boy in France but he’d be great for your football club”.’
Souness said he’d “never heard” of Cantona, and proclaimed he was “fighting fires” at Liverpool.
He told Platini: ‘I believe he’s a proper player but right now I don’t need any more problem boys.’
White was left stunned with Souness’s admission that Cantona could have been a Liverpool player.
When asked if he regretted the call, Souness said: ‘Doesn’t haunt me, no. Because at the time… Part of my job at Liverpool was to get the old brigade out and bring new ones in and I was having difficulties with the first part of that job.’
Souness said missing out on Cantona did not haunt him, as he had his own issues to deal with
Platini’s determination to get Cantona into English football saw him join Leeds in January 1992
Cantona had come through the academy at Auxerre, but moved to Marseille in 1989, and then Nimes two years later.
Platini’s determination to get Cantona into English football led to an unsuccessful trial at Sheffield Wednesday, before the Frenchman joined Leeds United in January 1992.
Ten months after joining Leeds, Sir Alex Ferguson brought him to Old Trafford, where he won four Premier League titles, and scored 82 goals in 185 club appearances.
Souness was Liverpool manager from April 1991 to January 1994, but faced an uphill struggle at Anfield, only winning the 1992 FA Cup during his time in charge.
