“I was at a game in Paris, sitting next to Michel Platini and Gerard Houllier,” recalled Sir Alex. “Platini says to me – it was the time he [Cantona] was suspended from French football – he says ‘you should go and sign Cantona.’
“I say ‘is he not a problem?’ He says ‘if you recognise him and bring him into the fold, I tell you he’s a great player’. Gerard Houllier endorsed that exactly. I was going home the next day, I go into training and he’s signed for Sheffield Wednesday on loan [trial]. Trevor Francis [was the manager].
“They were training indoors, because the weather was bad. He’s very friendly with Howard Wilkinson, so when his loan was up, Trevor tried to further it and he said no chance. So he phoned Howard and Howard signed him. And they won the league. He won the league for them. There’s no question in my mind.”
