Former Manchester United captain Eric Cantona has told the Mail on Sunday he would take a coaching role to make the team "play creative football once again" and reiterated his belief that Pep Guardiola should be the club's manager rather than Jose Mourinho.

Cantona has previously said he would prefer Manchester City boss Guardiola to be in charge, and the 52-year-old has now volunteered his own services to help close the gap between the two rival clubs.

"Listen. I joke about Manchester City but they are playing great football," said Cantona, who won four Premier League titles at Old Trafford during the 1990s as Sir Alex Ferguson's side dominated English football.

"It's just that I think Guardiola should be at United. He is the spiritual child of Johan Cruyff -- he played under Cruyff at Barcelona and learned everything from him. He's the only person who should be at United.

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"Well, except for me. I would like to coach. If they called me, I would go; I would enjoy it. They know where I am. Then we would play creative football once again.

"It would be great for the fans, like it was with Alex Ferguson -- he allowed players to be creative, treated them as individuals. We all felt special with him. All felt loved. He was always praising. A good man. A good leader."

Eric Cantona returned to Old Trafford in June to take part in a match for Soccer Aid. Getty

Mourinho has continued to attract criticism despite United finishing second in the Premier League last season, 19 points behind Guardiola's record-breaking City side.

During his postmatch news conference following the 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Aug. 27, he walked while demanding more "respect" from the media and reminding reporters he has won more Premier League titles alone than the other 19 managers combined.