10 Man Utd Players Who Nearly Signed For Liverpool

3. Eric Cantona

Cool, suave and stoic, Eric Cantona possessed such supreme poise and nonchalance, as his presence commanded the attention of Premier League stadiums the length and breadth of the country. Strutting around Old Trafford with his collar apathetically flicked up, the arena was his and the adoring fans were in the palm of his hand. Revered to this day, the charismatic 'King Eric' is held in the highest esteem by the Old Trafford faithful. According to former Anfield boss Graeme Souness, however, it was his own foolishness which prevented Cantona from becoming a Red. Souness claims that he was offered the Frenchman in the immediate aftermath of a UEFA Cup victory over Auxerre in 1991, but refusing on account of the mercurial 24 year old being a 'problem player'.

''After the game, I was in my office and there was a French guy waiting to see me. It was Michel Platini. He said he had a player for me. A player who'd had problems but would love to play for Liverpool. That player was Eric Cantona. At that time we didn't need any more problems so that was the one that got away.'' - Graeme Souness.

The abrasive Scotsman would go on to enjoy a turbulent time as manager of Liverpool, while the cocky Frenchman signed for north-west outfits Leeds United and Manchester United in quick succession. Lamenting his poor decision-making on that European evening in 1991, Souness cited it as a 'definite regret, when you think of what he went on to do'.