In 1994, Cantona was named PFA Player of the Year and won the FA Cup over Chelsea. However, perhaps his most famous time at United didn't deal with scoring a goal at all. During a match against Crystal Palace in 1995, Cantona got sent off for kicking a player out of vengence. As he left the pitch, he stormed at a Palace fan and kung-fu kicked him. Let's just say, not a smart idea.
He ultimately got sentenced 120 hours of community service and a nine-month ban from football. When he came back in 1995, he looked rusty; but soon he was back to his old self and helped United win the FA Cup against Liverpool. He became the first foreign-born captain to win the Cup.
He retired in 1997, after four English Premiership titles in five years, including two league and FA Cup doubles; he also scored 64 goals in 144 appearances. During his 40 caps for France, he scored 25 goals. After the Crystal Palace incident, he lost his place from the French side for good—replaced by Zinedine Zidane. Cantona's resentment for Aime Jacquet, the French national coach at the time, only got worse when France won the World Cup in 1998.
The French master has had a shaky relationship with Manchester United since his retirement. In 2004, he said he would never want to manager the club. However, he has since retracted that statement and said that United was the only club he would take charge of.
David Beckham, 1993-2003
As King Eric's career was coming to a close, another United player was just beginning. Enter David Beckham. He was already well known in United's youth system and it was only a matter of time when he was chosen for the first team.
Signing with United at the age of 14, Becks would have a flourishing career at United. When he first joined, he wore Mark Hughes's former number, which was 10.
On his Champions League debut against Galatasaray in 1994, he scored a goal as United won, 4-0. For the 1994-1995 season, he was loaned off to Preston North End where he got some first team experience. However, Beckham would be back.
In 1996, Becks became a household name when he scored a miracle goal from halfway line as United beat Wimbledon 3-0. When Eric Cantona left in 1997, Becks took the No. 7 jersey leaving the No. 10 jersey for newcomer, Teddy Sheringham.
Beckham's biggest year came in 1999, when he was part of the squad that won the Treble—the Champions League, the FA Cup, and the Premier League. During his stay at United, Becks scored 62 goals in 265 appearances.
In 2003, Beckham's relationship with Manchester United deteriorated as he increasingly stayed on the bench. Eventually, he transferred to Real Madrid where he stayed for four years, from 2003-2007.
In 2007, he made possibly the most controversial move of the 21st century when he came to the States to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.
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