ROBBIE Slater has revealed that Blackburn Rovers players celebrated when Eric Cantona was banned for the rest of the 1994/95 season following his kung fu kick on a fan at Crystal Palace.

Rovers held a narrow lead over Manchester United in the title race in January 1995 when Cantona jumped into the crowd and attacked a supporter at Selhurst Park after being sent off.

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Cantona was then suspended for the rest of the season and Slater, who was part of the Rovers title-winning squad, admits he was delighted.

“We felt an important part of that year was when Eric Cantona kung fu kicked a fan at Crystal Palace and got suspended,” Slater said.

“I remember the next day at training and we were all saying, ‘you beauty!’

“I think that played a massive role in us winning that title.

“We all thought that.”

Slater joined Rovers from French side Lens in 1994.

The Australian midfielder was on the verge of signing for Aston Villa before getting a call from his boyhood hero Kenny Dalglish.

He said: “I went up to meet Kenny. I was star struck. I can’t remember speaking and I don’t think I talked personal terms because I didn’t care!

“My manager said, ‘what do you reckon?’, and I said, ‘I don’t care, I just want to play for Kenny’.”

Slater was unused substitute on the final day of the season at Anfield.

He told Fox Sports Australia: “I should have got on but Kenny says he forgot! It didn’t matter.

“Afterwards we got on the bus at Anfield and didn’t go home. Kenny had organised a restaurant in Preston.

“We got word very quickly, ‘son’t come home to Blackburn, it’s mayhem’.

“We stayed there all night, got home at 8am in time to change to parade the trophy at Ewood Park, and kept going.

“We went for a pub crawl. A 58-hour session - if I tried that now I’d die.

“The last image I have of the celebration was on the second night at 2am and Colin Hendry was standing there holding a pint, naked.

“I looked at him and thought, ‘it’s time to go home!’”