Eric the Red king of New York

SHROUDED in cigar smoke and sitting on a throne, Eric Cantona announced his return to football yesterday morning in his own very unique style.

The recently-revived New York Cosmos may not have players or a stadium but they caused a stir when announcing that the former Manchester United captain was to become their director of football.

The 44-year-old’s role will include managing a first team that won’t see Major League Soccer (MLS) action until at least 2013 but that hasn’t prevented the Queens-based outfit weighing into the Big Apple’s lucrative sporting market with some swagger.