Fergie 'will die on United bench', says Cantona
Ferguson was expected to retire last season when he reached the age of 60, but he had a change of heart and signed a three-year extension to his Old Trafford contract.
Frenchman Cantona recently voted United's greatest player of all time was not surprised by his former manager's decision to remain in the hot-seat, and thinks he should carry on beyond his current deal.
"I think Alex should continue in the job because it is something special in his life," said Cantona.
"I hope he continues and I am sure he will. I know he likes other things in life but football is his life, and there wouldn't be enough without it.
"When you quit football it is not easy, your life becomes difficult. I should know because sometimes I feel I quit too young.
"I loved the game but I no longer had the passion to go to bed early, not to go out with my friends, not to drink, and not to do a lot of other things the things I like in life.
"Alex Ferguson loves the game and will die on the United bench, I am sure of that," he said.
Cantona was speaking after being named Overseas Player of the Decade in the FA Premier League 10 Seasons Awards. The Old Trafford legend joined United in 1992 from Leeds for £1.2m, making 191 appearances and scoring 88 goals before retiring in 1997.
Cantona hailed Ferguson who was named Manager of the Decade in the awards as his perfect boss, and revealed how the colourful Scot was an innovator in the way he ran the club.
"Alex was the perfect manager for me," said Cantona.
"I needed to blossom and in order to do that I needed to love and respect the manager. If you love someone but do not respect someone for knowing football exactly, then you cannot play for them.
"Some managers are fat and drink beer, and how can you respect someone who drinks and doesn't stay fit. Alex showed an example and we followed him. I was 25 and met him at the best time of my career he was the perfect manager to play for.
"Alex was obsessive about what to do in training, what to eat and drink, and what times to sleep, whereas some managers don't know that.
"People talk about how managers have come from France or elsewhere and brought these things into the game but he is the one who has given so much to English football."
Meanwhile United captain Roy Keane is winning his fight to face Arsenal and Patrick Vieira. Keane was forced to come off against Newcastle to cast doubts about his appearance in the clash of the top two.
Alex Ferguson, however, believes he will be fit for the game. "Roy should be OK. There is some bruising after a dead leg but hopefully he will be all right," he said.
Keane was disappointing in United's 3-1 defeat at Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg in Spain last week a stage on which he usually displays his most determined performances.
But Ferguson says his captain was restrained by United's tactics and expects Keane to be back to his all-action best at Highbury. "The criticism was unfair because I played him in a position which was difficult for him," Ferguson said yesterday.
"Once he got into the battle in the second half he was much better. He needs to be in the battle but he is in the midstream of changing his game a little bit and he found it difficult in the first half.
Keane has adopted a new deeper role following hip surgery this season and has abandoned the box-to-box play that made him the most feared competitor in the premier league.
That has led critics to suggest he is no longer the dominant force he once was in United's midfield.
Ferguson is still facing a selection headache as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Wes Brown all have hamstring strains while John O'Shea has a knee injury. Fabien Barthez will have a foot problem assessed today after stubbing his toe at Newcastle.
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