Eric Cantona says he would have hit Thierry Henry if he was one of the Republic of Ireland players cheated of their World Cup spot.

Cantona said: “What shocks me the most quite frankly, is not the hand-ball.”

“What shocks me the most is that this player, at the end of the game, in front of the TV cameras, went to sit down next to an Ireland player to comfort him – when he had just screwed him.”

Cantona could not believe Henry continued to sit and chat with Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne at the end of the match after his handball set up William Gallas for the goal which ended Ireland’s World Cup dream in Paris.

Cantona, infamous for his kung-fu kick at a fan, added: “If I had been an Irishman, he wouldn’t have lasted three seconds.”

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