Cantona: THAT kung-fu kick was for footballers everywhere

It remains the most shocking act by a player in English ­football history.

And yet, 16 years on, Eric Cantona is unrepentant over his kung-fu kick on Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons.

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The ramifications for Cantona were as seismic as the shockwaves the incident sent through the game at the time.

The Manchester United talisman was sentenced to two weeks in prison, later reduced to 120 hours ­community service.

He was also banned from playing for nine months. stripped of the captaincy of the French national team and lost his place in the France side.

But Cantona, now Director of Football at the reborn New York Cosmos, insists he was striking a blow for players everywhere when he blew his top against the abusive fan.

“When I did the kung-fu on the hooligan,” he said, “I did it because these kind of people don’t have to be in the game.

“I think maybe it’s like a dream for some people - to kick these kinds of people. So I did it for them. So then they are happy.

“It’s a kind of freedom for them. So I speak about that. Maybe they felt it. Something special, physically.”

Since the Selhurst Park flashpoint in 1995, there have been a string of other ­incidents which have seen supporters believing they can antagonise players.

In 2007, a Tottenham fan named Tim Smith ran onto the White Hart Lane pitch to confront Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. Fortunately, Lampard managed to duck Smith’s drunken lunge before the fan was wrestled to the ground.

Spurs keeper Ian Walker was punched by one of his own fans after a 7-1 defeat to Newcastle in 2004, and last season Carlton Cole had to be dragged away by his West Ham team-mates after being incensed by abuse from a Hammers supporter following a loss to Wolves.

In 2009, David Beckham tried to leap over a barrier to remonstrate with irate LA Galaxy fans who booed him and branded him ‘Judas’ over his decision to play for AC Milan on loan.

Cantona conceded it was a mistake to allow his feelings to boil over, but he added:

“I’ve seen so many players scoring goals. They know this kind of feeling, but this one? A player jump and kick a hooligan? It’s not the kind of thing you see every day.

“But, that’s life. That’s me. You take it or not. I’m strong enough to come back.”

Former striker Cantona has since reinvented himself as an actor and was voted United’s Player of the Century in 2001.

But, despite his four championships in five years, his two FA Cups, three Charity Shields and two Player of the Year awards, Cantona confessed he does not know where ANY of his football memorabilia is.

“I don’t care about the past. It was great but I don’t want to think about it. I want to look forward," he said.

“I don’t know where my medals are. Nothing. No shirt. Nothing.

“I played for France 45 times. We got two shirts for every game, so that’s 90. I don’t have even one.

“You can feel very quickly a prisoner of your past. Of your memories. I prefer to be free and think about tomorrow.”

With his former club poised to renew rivalries with ­Liverpool on Sunday, Cantona hailed United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as a ‘genius’ and a ‘psychologist’, and left the door open for a return to the club where he remains a legend.

He said of Fergie: “He is one of the greatest of all time all around the world. For more than 20 years he has stayed at the same club with different generations of players.

“I admire him. He is a great psychologist. he adapts himself to all generations of players. He is a kind of genius.

“I learned from him, but now I am a free bird with my own wings. Now I am involved with New York Cosmos.

"But we will see in the future.”

* The full interview with Cantona will be shown on Football Focus; tomorrow, BBC1, 12.15pm

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CANTONA: FLASHBACK TO THAT NIGHT AT SELHURST PARK

After being sent off for a blatant kick at Richard Shaw, Cantona was only seconds from being off the pitch and down the tunnel when 20-year-old Palace fan Matthew Simmons ran from the back of the stand to throw a volley of abuse at the United No.7.

Cantona, who later claimed Simmons had insulted him and his mother, fixed his sights on the foul-mouthed fan and, with a magnificent piece of athleticism, launched himself over the advertising boards and planted a kung-fu kick into Simmons’ chest.

As chaos erupted, Cantona got back up to land a few punches as well, before being dragged away by stewards and team-mate Peter Schmeichel.

Simmons was sentenced to seven days in jail for abusive and threatening ­behaviour while Cantona was initially given a custodial sentence but had it reduced to 120 hours community service.

He was banned from football for nine months and fined £30,000.

Following his court hearing, Cantona gave his now-infamous press conference where, in between sips of water, he announced:

“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.

"Thank you very much.”

He then got up and left.