ALEX FERGUSON yesterday revealed how he persuaded Eric Cantona to show "the courage" not to turn his back on the English game last summer.

The mercurial Frenchman seemed set to leave in the aftermath of his infamous Selhurst Park set to with Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons.

His mind appeared even more made up when the Football Association announced they would investigate the circumstances which saw him playing in a behind closed doors training match in apparent breach of his eight month worldwide ban.

Cantona approached the United board with a transfer request and, with Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti's interest transparently clear, he looked Italy bound.

But Ferguson's determination to keep "mon genius" was demonstrated as he flew out to. France to speak to Cantona, talking him round to staying at Old Trafford.

The reward for both manager and player has been immense, Ferguson leading his Cantona inspired team to their third title in four years and with Cantona's feet doing all his talking with a series of outstanding performances that saw him crowned as Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.

And now the man who returned to action after his enforced break against Liverpool on October 1st will again be the centre of attention as United aim to complete their second double in three seasons against Roy Evans's troops at Wembley on Saturday.

"I think he was assessing what his options were, and the feeling he ha.dent the time made it a difficult one for him, very difficult," recalled Ferguson.

There was the community service and all the media exposure and the criticisms and everything else.

"I wonder how many people would have had the courage to stay, particularly a foreigner?"

"It would have been dead easy to get on the first ship, stay in the hull, and go anywhere, just run away. That would have been dead easy, but he's done more than that."

Ferguson detailed what he had said to cause Cantona to change his mind. "I didn't know for certain that he could do as well as he has, but we felt it was worth keeping him," he said.

"We did what we felt would please ourselves and our supporters. I think we did the right thing band it turned out to be good for us.

"I said to him there's no reason for you to leave he.The supporters love you, it's the best foot ball you've played and enjoyed in your career.

"There's no reason to leave this club. If you think you can't handle it though, then you'll be doing the right thing by leaving. I think he's made the right decision."

The United fans certainly agree with Ferguson and this week Cantona broke his self.imposed silence to explain he had been driven by a desire to be "honest and faithful to those who have surrounded me" and to publicly thank Ferguson for his personal support.

Ferguson's response to that was to play the compliment down. "He doesn't need to tell me that," he said.

"Eric isn't the type of person to try to ingratiate himself with me or anybody else. I'm not a vain person but aware of what he feels about this club and the way he's performed tells you everything. I think Cantona has this season enhanced his reputation as a United icon, and it is clear that his teammates' appreciation of his talents is total.

"We don't have to be told how important Eric is for the team, because we all know," said Ryan Giggs, set to make up for the disappointment of having to be content with a substitute role in last year's Wembley defeat against Everton by Starting against their Merseyside neighbours.

It was a real boost for us to have somebody of that quality to come back into the side.

"I don't think anybody in the dressing room really thought he wouldn't come back and even before he did we had a few good results, but Eric is the key."