'I was like woah!' - Manchester United legend stuns artists with impromptu visit to gallery

‘King Eric’, 58, jetted in from Paris to Manchester to spend around 90 minutes looking at dozens of pieces produced by creatives at GRIT Studios. Founder John Macaulay said the former United ace was invited by long-time resident Michael J Browne, with whom he has collaborated for a number of years. And he said the former striker - himself a keen musician and artist - had left a lasting impression on many of the artists after praising their pieces in the studio.

John, who adored Cantona when he played for his beloved Red Devils, said: “Having this almost Hollywood-level star walking in through the door was just like – woah! Particularly as there are a number of us who are big United fans.

“He did not disappoint. He was a really humble guy, and really lovely to deal with. More importantly, he was genuinely interested in the grassroots arts scene. There wasn’t any circus with him, he was just a very down-to-earth guy.”

Since retiring from football aged just 30 in 1997, Cantona has indulged his passion for art, culture and music, while embarking on a successful acting career. And John, who founded GRIT Studios with his wife Sophie, said the star paid a particular interest to guitars handcrafted by resident Chris Polin.

He said: “Obviously he’s a musician, so he was amazed by the guitars. He strummed it, and played a few notes on it. I did ask him if he played the guitar and he shrugged his shoulders and smiled. But the guitar definitely resonated him. He also met Francis Thorrington who has done a mosaic reproduction of the Mona Lisa - and he was in awe of that.”

John said Cantona was also very supportive of the principles of GRIT Studios, which lets around 56 artists and producers use their spaces across Greater Manchester.

He added: “GRIT Studios is art for everybody – everybody is creative. And Eric was very supportive of that. There was a real buzz about the place after he left. He said a lot of people don’t feel welcome in galleries and they look through the glass on the outside and don’t feel it's for them, but GRIT is very inclusive.”

Cantona scored 82 goals in 182 games for United after spells at Leeds and Marseille in France. This year, he appeared in the action movie ‘The Killer' and has also previously toured with his band, Cantona Sings Eric.