Eric Cantona was asked about Wayne Rooney’s decision to hold Manchester United to ransom over a massive pay rise. Cantona has claimed he has no problem with players taking their share but can’t abide by players whose motivation is money rather scoring a last minute winner.

“I have no problem with players taking their share, because without players you have no game,” Cantona told ESPN. “But money cannot be your motivation. If the money is crazy, you can go play for another team. But the demands don’t always come from the player. There are people around him who are trying to manipulate him. I think the question we have to ask the players at the Cosmos Academy is ‘Why do you want to play professional football? Do you want to be a great player, or do you want to become rich and famous? What is your dream?’ If you just want to become a professional and make money, I don’t want you on my team. But if you want to become the best player in the world and score a goal in the last minute to win the game, then I will help you become that. Me, when I was 4 years old, it was my dream to play with the best. When I got older, they paid me to play, but I would have played for nothing. I didn’t become a football player to become rich. Yes, rich as a person. Trophies. Memories.”