Man Utd legend Eric Cantona turned actor and now is a singer with sold-out shows

A globally-renowned footballer, who pursued a career in acting after retiring from sport in the 1990s, is now a touring singer with jam-packed shows.

Hailed as one of the 'greatest footballers of all time,' French footballer Eric Cantona, 57, wowed fans with a performance in in an hour and a half long show at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London on Sunday - three days after he made his debut at Stoller Hall in Manchester.

Having returned to once familiar turf for his debut gig, the legendary sportsman had played for Manchester United from 1992 until 1997.

Once named by the late football great Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004, the French enigma caused controversy in 1995 when he launched his famous kung-fu kick at a racist Crystal Palace fan.

At a match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace, that ended 1-1, Cantona made headlines following the incident during the second-half.

After a tustle with Palace defender Richard Shaw, Eric had been shown a red card. As the football star made his way back down the tunnel, a Palace fan named Matthew Simmons began racially abusing the Frenchman.

Cantona responded by leaping at the fan and kicking him 'kung-fu style' - earning him a nine-month ban by the FA, a hefty fine and 120 hours of community service teaching youngsters how to play football.

The former footballer baffled both the press and fans when he made a statement during the consequent press conference, in which he darkly said, 'When seagulls follow the trawler it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.'

And, in an even more shocking twist, Cantona unexpectedly announced his retirement from football in 1997, expressing his love for the arts and his desire to persue a