Sport

Eric Cantona becomes latest co-owner of FC United

'Eric the King' is now a co-owner of the fan-formed phoenix club.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 7th April 2025

Former French footballer and Man United legend Eric Cantona has become the latest co-owner of local non-league club FC United of Manchester.

The 58-year-old ex-Leeds United forward and Red Devil retired from the sport in 1997 at the age of 30 before going on to be involved in acting, art, music and more in the nearly three decades since.

He even released his debut EP and played live at two much-loved Manchester venues – more than fitting of his own iconic status.

Cantona does still dip his toe back in the pool every now and again, being spotted at the Manchester derby on Sunday, but before that put some extra shine on the Northern Premier League side’s 1-1 draw against Mickleover on Saturday by becoming an official FC United member and co-owner.

Writing in the caption on social media, ‘Eric the King’ said: “Proud new member of FC United with the whole Cantona family. Join FC United of Manchester, it’s just 25 pounds.

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As you can see in the short clip, the enigmatic jack-of-all-trades went on to say, “The Cantona family, we are all members of United FC.

“All the people from all around the world should be members of [FC] United because it’s a great club.”

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He added that despite still being a relatively young team, they have a “great history”, as well as expressing a level of admiration for their core principles.

For anyone still not up to speed two decades on, FC United is the spiritual phoenix club of Manchester United, founded back in 2005 by those supporters who were against the initial leveraged buyout by the Glazer family.

Their home at Broadhurst Park in Moston was also the site of the latest ‘Glazers Out’ protest, as both fan bases still naturally overlap quite heavily. Safe to say pre-takeover figures like Cantona, who has been vocal on many contemporary issues threatening the sport, is still plenty popular among their fans.

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This isn’t the first time the man behind the infamous kung-fu kick in 1995 has shown his support for the non-league outfit, having raffled shirts and signed films to help raise funds in the past.

He also gave an interview in an official matchday programme back in 2021 and will now be helping increase the club’s reputation and wider profile in the years to come.

Although he now lives in Lisbon these days, he is still a semi-regular visitor to Greater Manchester, having frequented his former home on numerous occasions during a collaborative exhibition with local artist Michael Browne.

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear, he still holds this city firmly in his heart.

Man United legend Eric Cantona stuns Manchester artists with surprise visit to GRIT Studios
His passion for art is arguably even stronger than his feelings for football – at least the modern game, anyway.

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Featured Images — FC United (screenshot via X)/TNT Sports (screenshot via YouTube)

Sport

Former Manchester United star Patrice Evra is set to make his MMA debut very soon

Danny Jones Danny Jones Patrice Evra MMA debut fighter

In another somewhat left-field turn of events in the sporting world, ex-Manchester United star Patrice Evra is set to swap his boots for gloves as he prepares to make his MMA debut.

The retired Man United player and French international ended his playing days back in 2019 after a short one-year spell at West Ham, and has mostly worked as a pundit in recent years.

Evra, 43, stunned his millions of followers online and even more football and fight fans alike by announcing he would be trying his hand at combat sports earlier this week.

Hopping on social media to confirm the news, it’s fair to say he’s already relishing the challenge.

The former left-back made 379 appearances for the Red Devils, winning 14 trophies, but this will be his first in the European division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), the second-biggest promotion in MMA after the UFC.

As far as we know, Evra has little to no background in fighting of any discipline, even if he was used to the more physical side of the game as a defender.

Writing via X on Friday, 25 April, the 2008 Champions League and ’09 Club World Cup winner, said: “I’m officially training for my first fight with PFL Europe. They will pick my opponent… They asked who I wanna face. I said: Luis Suárez.

“I’ll pay out of pocket. He can even bite me.”

Suárez, still playing at 38, was not only found guilty of at least three instances of biting other players but was famously charged with racially abusing Patrice Evra back in 2011, with the two sharing a strong feud ever since.

Now, since the Uruguayan striker is still playing professional football over in the MLS, alongside the one and only Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, we wouldn’t hold our breaths.

Nevertheless, it seems as though he will be fighting someone on 23 May, once an opponent is selected in the coming weeks.

Evra has been training with Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist and friend, Cédric Doumbé, a former kickboxing specialist and now an established fighter in the welterweight class.

Joking aside, although there are a lot of controversial moves that are legal in MMA, biting isn’t one of them – not that it ever stopped the former Liverpool forward in the past.

Let’s just say old habits can die hard…

Speaking in an official press conference, Evra said: “I’ve performed on the world’s biggest stages, won every major trophy in football, but PFL Europe Paris will be an incredibly special night for me.

“I’ve been training alongside the best in the world for years, and they’ll also tell you I’m ready for this. I’m going to put on a show at the Accor Arena on 23 May, so come watch the spectacle.”

As out of the blue as it may seem, he obviously isn’t the only former athlete to have swapped one sport for another after calling time in their first career.

In fact, he’s not even the first United player to change lanes.

Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan starts his professional tennis career next month
Evra is set to take on his first MMA fight, and Forlan has already taken to the pro court.

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Featured Images — Professional Fighters League Europe (press shot)/Ian C (via Flickr)

Sport

Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce earns new contract after impressive season

Danny Jones Danny Jones Phallon Tullis-Joyce new three-year contract Man United

Manchester United Women’s goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has signed a brand-new contract with the club following an impressive campaign in the Women’s Super League.

The American international, who earned her international debut for the USWNT earlier this month and has kept 13 clean sheets in 19 WSL games so far this season, hasn’t just been one of the most impressive Man United players this year but one of the best in female football full stop.

Faced with the not-so-insignificant challenge of having to replace former club icon and Lionesses number one, Mary Earps, who left the club last summer, Tullis-Joyce has more than risen to the occasion and quickly become a fan favourite.

Having played an integral role in another impressive domestic display from the Reds, including a third consecutive FA Cup final for Marc Skinner’s side, securing her signature for a few more years was pretty much a no-brainer.

Penning a new three-year contract with United Women, this new deal sees the number 91 extend her stay at Leigh Sports Village until 2028.

With just nine goals conceded all season, fans will be hoping that’s until 2028 at the very least.

Speaking via the official club announcement, Phallon said: “I am really grateful to have this opportunity to continue the exciting journey we are on. All of us in the team have ever-growing dreams of what we can achieve together.

“We want to keep making history and I am so proud to keep wearing the Manchester United badge.”

The 28-year-old stats speak for themselves.

It was only back in February that manager Skinner, who also recently extended his stay at the club, proclaimed her as “one of the world’s best”; meanwhile, the club’s interim head of women’s football, Matt Johnson, described her a “exceptional” both on and off the pitch.

He went on to add that “This [new deal] shows the ambition of the club that we can retain one of the best goalkeepers in the world here at Manchester United.”

She also managed to pick up ‘Goalkeeper of the Year’ at the first-ever Festival of Women’s Football Awards this week.

With a healthy catalogue of highly athletic shot-stopping like this to her name and making a half century of saves in goal for MUWFC, it’s no surprise, really:

With other important players such as Maya Le Tissier, Millie Turner and Jayde Riviere having also signed new deals until 2028, Man United Women are looking to rebuild a strong core following some big departures in the last couple of years.

The men’s team, on the other hand, looks to be facing numerous obstacles.

As mentioned, the Women’s FA Cup final against an ever-dominant Chelsea side is taking place next month (18 May, 1:30pm), and a fantastic performance from Phallon Tullis-Joyce will no doubt be key in deciding who goes home with the trophy.

Do you fancy their chances of retaining it?

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Featured Images — Taylor Vincent (via Wikimedia Commons)/Manchester United (via X)

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