In GOAL's new series, we focus on the players who, despite their unbelievable talent, choose to swim against the tide of popular opinion

At a time when professional football has long been polished to perfection and players mostly run streamlined through the spotlight, the name Eric Cantona seems like a relic from another era.

Now 58, the Frenchman is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he ushered in a successful era from 1992 to 1997, albeit in a way that didn't always conform to the status quo and, in one memorable case, overstepped the line.

Cantona was a player who did not seek to please – he is the personification of GOAL's new Rebel United series

Hulton ArchiveRebel by conviction

To this day, Cantona makes it clear through his actions that he is not a product; he is a person with rough edges.

"I don't play against a specific opponent. I play against the idea of giving up," he once said during his playing days, and that statement sums up Cantona's attitude. He was never easy to pin down. Not for his coaches, who were thrilled by his technical brilliance, his goal-scoring instinct and his leadership skills, but who were exasperated by his outbursts. Nor for the media or for the fans, who both adored and feared him.

Cantona, whose trademark as a professional was to wear his shirt with the collar turned up, was not a star in the conventional sense. And that despite being the first real superstar of the then-newly-founded Premier League. After winning the last English championship of the pre-Premier League era with Leeds United, he led Manchester United to their first title in 26 years in 1993 and to a total of four titles in five years.

Cantona inspired future United legends David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers in their younger years, but he was not a classic role model. Cantona rejected the rules of the professional circus not out of a mere desire to provoke, but because he did not want to be as uniform as the rest of his colleagues. He was a rebel by conviction.

AdvertisementgettyJim Morrison's influence

Even at a young age, Cantona was searching for something deeper. As a teenager, he discovered the music of legendary American rock band The Doors and devoured the lyrics of their singer Jim Morrison. His dark poems, raw baritone voice and existentialist attitude of rejection spoke to the adolescent Cantona with a force that no football idol could have matched.

"Jim Morrison was like a mirror of my anger and my dreams at the same time," Cantona later said. The poet, who died in 1971 at the age of 27, became not so much a role model for him as a kind of spiritual soulmate. Morrison showed Cantona that boundaries can not only be pushed, but also broken down. Much later, the former striker also became a musician and went on tour with his own songs.

One of Morrison's quotes stuck with Cantona in particular: "Expose yourself to your deepest fear. After that, fear has no power." Thoughts like this became a guiding principle for Cantona in his later life. Whether on the pitch or in interviews, he always avoided the easy way out and sought confrontation – with opponents, authorities and himself.

AFP'When the seagulls follow the trawler…'

His early encounters with music and poetry made Cantona a footballer who thought more than he spoke. He was never just an athlete, but rather an artist with the pitch as his stage. His time with the Red Devils ultimately made him an icon.

On the pitch, the Marseille-born forward was a genius, but off it he was more of a philosophical loner. He preferred to fill interviews with cryptic quotes rather than platitudes. After hisinfamous kung-fu kick against a Crystal Palace fan who spat at him and gave him the Nazi salute on January 25, 1995, Cantona said: "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea."

He almost ended up in prison for two weeks for the incident, but in the end he was banned from football for eight months. Years later, Cantona said he regretted not kicking harder.

getty'Don't agree with what is accepted'

Cantona, of course, crossed the line with actions at Selhurst Park, but it was also a moment of radical honesty. It proved that he was never willing to bow to the image of the submissive football star. Rather than betray himself, he accepted his suspension. "I don't agree with what is accepted. I have my own view of the world and I don't want to give it up," he once said.

What distinguishes Cantona from many other scandalous figures in football is the attitude behind his behaviour. He did not rebel out of vanity. His work as an actor, artist and political activist after his career showed that his provocations were not empty.

Cantona showed solidarity with the homeless, criticised capitalism and exploitation, and supported protests against inequality. In 2012, he publicly called for a "peaceful bank run" to protest against the financial crisis – a call for citizens to empower themselves.