Such a fun read of arguably the most interesting footballer of his generation. Offered a great insight into the media/players/management at the time. It would be a great read even for people who weren't as familiar with the events that took place and Daniel does a great job acknowledging the impact it had on the English game.

Daniel Storey’s Portrait of an Icon is a masterclass in the profiling of the greats of our game and in 250 Days he has expanded that form to take in not only perhaps the most inspirational player of the Premier League era, but also one of the most successful dynasties of the English game and a period of enormous change. It makes for a captivating read.

Cantona is a player who transcends tribal rivalries, but it wasn’t always the case. The big personality that makes him so memorable now was of course a red flag to the bull of opposition supporters while he was cutting open defences and inspiring his club to an era of complete domination. On one such occasion, lines were crossed, as a tirade of abuse sparked a flash point that would reverberate through the history of the game.

It was a turning point for English football, triggering a genuine move away from the old First Division towards the global super-brand of the Premier League and a new relationship between fans and their heroes. It is interesting to reflect for a moment now how the open abuse of players is once again becoming commonplace with racism in particular prevalent, perhaps fuelled by a populist political environment that relies on division. It is hard to imagine Raheem Sterling diving into a crowd as Cantona did, but will his intelligent, articulate response to abuse be enough to cut through and transform a poisonous national rhetoric?

That Cantona was the trailblazer for the transformation of English football into the global spectacle that it is now only adds to his legend, as does the lasting impact that he had on Manchester United. His belief seems to have soaked through into the whole club, giving it the confidence, swagger and sense of entitlement to conquer the Premier League and ultimately, albeit after Cantona’s retirement, Europe. There is a sense in the book that without Cantona there would be no modern Colossus of Manchester.

Perhaps supporting that sentiment, one of the most striking elements of the book is just how many times Alex Ferguson’s leadership of the club was called into question. Despite everything that he achieved at Manchester United, questions were raised throughout his time including here when the first flavours of success were being savoured, but appeared to be fading.

We see Ferguson gamble everything on his instincts, despite the grumbles of common opinion, in a way that defined his leadership of the club, but we also get a glimpse of vulnerability as he wrestles with his conflicting beliefs of a moral imperative verses protecting and nurturing a special and pivotal talent. Whilst this is a book ostensibly about one footballing icon, it gives us a fascinating insight into another.

Especially for those who are football fans rather than dyed in the wool Manchester United supporters, Storey has done the legwork for you and presented an entertaining and engaging read about a crucial moment in the development of the English game. Cantona is a complex character who courted controversy throughout his career, but he was also a genius with a football who played a key role in shaping both the modern Manchester United and the wider English game, and Storey captures that conundrum and legacy superbly.

As a Manchester Utd fan i was delighted that this book was available through Net Galley. However those of a certain era would find this a riveting read regardless of who they supported. It was interesting to see how Ferguson was able to give one player a degree of special treatment without distancing the other super stars within the team. I remember the incident at Selhurst Park but was unaware of some of things that took place in court or prior to Cantona returning to the team. I would say that regardless of your views on the team or the player, if you have a spare couples of hours give this book a go.

As a kid I was a Man United fan. The day Eric Cantona retired I realised that wasn’t actually true. I was a Cantona fan and any residual affection for United slowly waned until a few years later when I stop pretending I cared. Cantona was that kind of player, one who could make a kid fall in love with a team and a sport simply by turning up his collar and chipping the goalkeeper.

250 Days chronicles the aftermath of the infamous day at Selhurst Park when Cantona kung fu kicked a Cyrstal Palace fan. The mercurial Frenchman had been man-marked closely all game and in frustration kicked his marker early in the second half. As he made his way to the tunnel, he launched into the crowd, aiming a kung-fu kick at the chest of a taunting Palace fan.

It caused a sensation like no other in my 10 year old life to that point. Even before the days of 24 hour Sky Sports News, it dominated news coverage for weeks as speculation mounted that the mercurial Frenchman would be fired, banned for life or imprisoned. Ultimately, he ended up with a 250 day ban stretching into the following season.

The focus of the book is what happened during this period, and how it shaped Man United’s next period of success. United’s legendary manager Alex Ferguson saw an opportunity and Storey chronicles how both men used this time to help develop and inspire the rising generation of United players (the so-called ‘Class of ’92’).

250 Days is a well written and entertaining account of this turbulent period in United history. Storey blends together the accounts from the key figures into a compelling narrative and builds a very convincing case for his central thesis. Cantona and Ferguson both emerge with significant credit for their ability to turn a potentially career ending attack into a positive experience binding player, manager and club closer together.

The books suffers slightly from the lack of original reporting – Storey has read and absorbed a huge amount of material covering United and Cantona during that time, but for those sad people, like myself, who have read more than half the bibliography, the book feels a little unfresh. If you haven’t read Gary Neville’s autobiography, Alex Ferguson’s autobiographies (please never read his later books – they are awful) and the entertaining Cantona on Cantona this probably won’t be a problem for you though!

Much like Storey’s previous book on Gazza’s time in Italy, the book feels too short for it’s price point. Obviously this is the publisher’s decision rather than Storey’s but it does cloud the reading experience. Storey is prolific in churning out incredibly high quality articles across a variety of publications. I’d be very excited to read a full length book of his that shined fresh light on some similar aspect of 90’s football. I’ve said a few times there I’d love to see an English language book on Sacchi’s Milan team in case he is looking for suggestions!

All in all, an entertaining read.

An excellent read about a famous snap shot of English Premier League history; goes to lengths to explain the surroundings of the huge moment - why Cantona kicked Richard Shaw, the fall out of Matthew Simmons, Man United's attempts to deal with the problem in-house, how Cantona rose from the ashes to salvage his career. Storey writes with a fluency and pace that is befitting of the moment - a flashbulb that encapsulated a time before the social media age.