London (AFP)

French striker Eric Cantona will join Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry in the Premier League Hall of Fame, England league organizer announced on Tuesday.

He is the first of 6 players that Internet users were to choose from a list of 23 to complete the 8 names of the first batch of the recently created "Hall of Fame".

"There were about 30 players who could have been elected. But, me, it's different. If you had to elect one, it was me. The others are all excellent. But me, I'm exceptional. .. ", said the Frenchman, always very sure of himself, quoted on the site of the Premier League.

"I am happy and proud but at the same time I am not surprised. I would have been surprised not to be elected," he continued.

Four times champion in five seasons with Manchester United, which he joined in November 1992, Cantona revolutionized the relationship between English football and foreign and especially Latin players.

His 70 goals and 56 assists in 156 league games have earned him the nickname "The King".

His legend was hardly marred by his kick to a Crystal Palace supporter who insulted him, in January 1995, and which had earned him several months of suspension.

"I played football and I loved football, I dreamed of football as a child. To play in England was a dream," Cantona said.

"I had the chance to play in this team, with great players, a great coach and great supporters," he said.

Under the orders of Alex Ferguson, Cantona had been in the front row to witness the emergence of the generation of Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Roy Keane or Ryan Giggs, all promised to the Hall of Fame sooner or later.

"We won and we had a lot of fun and it was the football I dreamed of because Manchester United is a club where you want to win by doing things well. It was like that in the days of Matt Busby and it is the identity and the philosophy of the club ".

The names of the other 5 players chosen by the public to join Shearer, Henry and Cantona will be announced over the week, the Premier League said.

© 2021 AFP