Man United legend Eric Cantona wowed an adoring crowd at the Stoller Hall in Manchester

The Frenchman is idolised at Old Trafford for his transformative impact on the Red Devils

It’s hard to imagine any former footballer other than Cantona carrying off what then ensued

It depends who is manager, Jason, their companion, thought. ‘The manager has to see the need to let a player like Cantona be himself and that’s what Ferguson did. It could have been disastrous under a lesser manager and I ask how Ten Hag would cope with a personality like Eric’s. It was easier 30 years ago than now.’

The individual in question certainly contributed to a yearning for that beautiful possibility. ‘How are you, friends?’ Cantona asked, after concluding the particularly mournful number Let’s Hope (That All Goes Back to Normal). ‘I know you… and you and you,’ he added, looking out at the sea of faces. ‘I know you all and I love you all.’

No-one was holding back at either side of the stage when Cantona prepared to say farewell

That was as good as the conversation got. As always, Cantona was a man of few words, though indicating that he would be moving ‘from one theatre of dreams to another’ — his way of linking songs My Lovely Dream and Where Love Is Hanging Out, whose meanings were extremely unclear — went down very well.