Eric Cantona has broken his near 30-year silence on one of the most famous and bizarre quotes in English football history.
The Manchester United legend’s remark about the 'seagulls [that] follow the trawler' has left fans scratching their heads since 1995.
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Cantona's infamous quip came at a press conference 28 years ago after an appeal hearing at Croydon Magistrates’ Court following his notorious kung-fu kick on Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons.
When asked to comment on his assault in front of a room of journalists, he said: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”
Decades of speculation on the meaning behind the words have been blanked by Cantona, who previously claimed 'it meant what it meant'.
The enigmatic Frenchman has now revealed his lengthy silence on the subject was revenge against the press that had 'destroyed' him.
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Appearing on French chat show C dans l’air, Cantona explained, as reported by the Guardian, how the phrase drove Brits into a frenzy.
He said: “After the [court] judgment they [Manchester United] absolutely wanted me to speak to the press.
“I didn’t want to but they said it’s important you have to speak to the press. So I said, OK I will speak to the press, in the sense that they want me to speak – I’ll say any old thing.
“They wanted me to speak, I spoke. It just came out and then I left. And the press, they all tried to find a sense to it and make it all philosophical. “You know, it just came out like that; maybe it came from my subconscious and maybe unconsciously it created a sense, but the best sense of it was, you make me speak, I speak and who cares whether the words make sense.”
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“You know, it just came out like that; maybe it came from my subconscious and maybe unconsciously it created a sense, but the best sense of it was, you make me speak, I speak and who cares whether the words make sense.”
It has been more than two decades since Cantona's fiery temper caused one of the most famous incidents in Premier League history.
On January 25 1995, after being sent off in a league game at Crystal Palace, Cantona stunned the football world by flying boot-first into an abusive supporter as he walked off the pitch.
The striker was initially banned by the Red Devils for the rest of that season before the Football Association turned it into an eight-month suspension.
It led to unprecedented hysteria in the media, with Sir Alex Ferguson Ferguson writing in his season diary his belief that the kick was shown 93 times on television over the next two days.
On choosing to remain tight-lipped after his sardine comment, Cantona added: “You know, they [the press] destroyed me.
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“But in a way, I have had my revenge. They were all trying to find a meaning and they all asked me to explain and I said nothing.”
Cantona, who scored 82 goals and won four league titles and two doubles with the club, once said it was his favourite moment in a United shirt.
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“My best moment? I have a lot of good moments but the one I prefer is when I kicked the hooligan,” the Old Trafford icon claimed.
This wasn't the only time Cantona caused a stir when doing a speech after accepting a UEFA award in 2019.