Eric Cantona reveals inspiration for 1995 seagulls comment: ‘It just came out’

It was one of the most baffling utterances ever made by a footballer.

When Eric Cantona said at a 1995 press conference: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea,” everyone was left scratching their heads.

What on earth did it mean? Was Cantona not only a star striker but a philosopher to boot? All he would say by way of explanation was: it meant what it meant.

Now after decades of speculation and analysis, the 57-year-old has said it was just the first thing that came into his head after he was forced to speak to journalists.

And his almost 30-year silence on the subject was a sort of revenge against the press who he said had “destroyed” him.

The former footballer turned photographer, actor, documentary maker, sports’ coach, poet and now singer made his supposedly profound seagulls and sardines statement after being ordered to speak to the press to explain his notorious kung-fu kick on an abusive Crystal Palace fan at an away game at Selhurst Park in January 1995.

Cantona was banned until the end of the season and narrowly avoided being sent to jail for assault after a two-week prison sentence was reduced to community service. However, the press had a field day.

Manchester United were criticised for taking 36 hours to ban him, while the Mirror described it as “the night football died of shame” and called Cantona “the madman” and the Express accused him of “absolute thuggery in front of children”.

Brian Clough, the outspoken former Nottingham Forest manager, said of the player that he would have “cut his balls off”. The kick was shown 93 times on television over the following two days. Cantona would later say he had just one regret: “I would have loved to have