Celebrating 20 Years of Eric

Gossip: Eric's replacement

Eric Cantona's sudden retirement sent the football word into shock in 1997.

Once the initial surprise subsided, the fans were asking one question. Who could possibly replace the team's talisman?

Chairman Martin Edwards may have insisted: "It is not our intention to get involved in speculation about other players at the moment", but that did not stop the press bandying a whole host of names around.

Middlesbrough star Juninho was said to be nailed-on to arrive at Old Trafford. 'Maverick king's exit opens way for Juninho' screamed one headline. To many writers, it appeared only a matter of time before the South American, brought to these shores by Bryan Robson, would be plying his trade in Manchester. At the time, the midfielder admitted: "I am proud my name has also been linked with United. They are a big club and I would be happy to have the chance to play for them." However, Juninho also had designs on La Liga and ended up joining Atletico Madrid, despite Tottenham agreeing a club record fee with Middlesbrough.

Focus also centred upon Rangers forward Brian Laudrup, who had been shining in the Scottish Premier League. It was reported that the boss thought he had got his man with a £6.5million offer but the Gers convinced the Dane to stay after emergency talks. Ajax had also be keen to land the classy younger brother of Michael, who would eventually join Chelsea in 1998 and whose brother is currently managing Swansea in the Barclays Premier League.

Alex Ferguson was said to have asked Kenny Swain to scout Crewe's Danny Murphy in England Under-20 action in Malaysia, a player who went on to be a nemesis in his Liverpool days. The Sunday Mirror forwarded Sunderland's Michael Bridges as an option for United but the wiry forward was to join Leeds and suffer from injury problems. The same newspaper also believed Juventus wide man Angelo Di Livio was on the manager's radar, despite competition from Roma. Sometimes the approach was a little scatter-gun as The Independent reacted instantly to Cantona's departure by listing possible targets that included Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier - "lazy by the standards of United's work effort" and Roberto Baggio - "although 30, still a great talent". The same article mentioned Dejan Savicevic and also included a passing reference to Teddy Sheringham, who would ultimately fill the Frenchman's shoes.

The Daily Mirror went on to claim 11 players had rejected moves to United, including other forwards such asGabriel Batistuta, Alen Boksic,Zinedine Zidane and Alan Shearer. And it was not just a Cantona replacement - Harry Harris claimed the manager had been "desperately searching for a sweeper for more than a year." AC Milan veteran Franco Baresiwas the reported chief target, despite alleged rival interest from Newcastle, but a story with more substance related toMarkus Babbel. The Bayern Munich defender saw a possible switch to the Reds collapse and complained: "They got cold feet and let the transfer fall through. I am being portrayed everywhere as a money-grabber and that's really not what I'm like."

With the Reds also said to have missed out on Stephane Henchoz, who joined Blackburn instead, Miguel Nadal,Marcel Desailly and Laurent Blanc, who would eventually head to the Theatre of the Dreams in 2001. The only defender to sign that summer wasHenning Berg, from Blackburn as work permit issues scuppered a deal to buy Brazilian centre-back Celio Silva from Corinthians. "It's important that as a club we never stand still," said Ferguson. "Eric Cantona has retired but Teddy Sheringham has come into the club and now we hope Celio Silva will also be joining us. I think that shows progress for the future and I've got the kind of balance to our squad that I think is essential."

In terms of a Cantona replacement, it is possible to argue that Sheringham was assisted by Paul Scholes, who really stepped up to the mark. Sheringham arrived from Spurs in a £3.5million deal in June that had the White Hart Lane faithful raging and he would play a key role in the 1999 Treble. Neil Harman in the Daily Mail got it right in terms of the impact Scholes could make as the youngster proved his talents that summer in Le Tournoi for England. "It has long been thought that 22-year-old Scholes possessed the sharpest mind, and keenest instinct, of the Fergie babes," he wrote. "But it was one which often had to lie dormant, waiting for the chance to break into United's first team, full time."

The manager, for his part, commented: "Paul's a smashing player who did well when he stepped in for Eric a couple of seasons ago. His goalscoring record is fantastic. We knew from his days with the youth team, that he'd be one of the best. I've had several managers on to me about his availability but there was never a chance of him leaving." Thank the heavens that the idea of Scholes departing was ever contemplated.