Sir Alex Ferguson and Eric Cantona self portraits have helped The Art of Football raise money for Nordoff Robbins.
The Art of Football, a unique collection of self-portraits by Barclays Premier League players and managers, has been sold at auction for £32,000 in aid of music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.
The book was sold at the Football Extravaganza at the Hilton Park Lane in London on Monday night, with the winner, who emerged triumphant in a battle between himself and a telephone bidder, choosing to remain anonymous.
The Art of Football was one of the star auction lots at the Football Extravaganza and featured nearly 50 Premier League players and managers who over the course of the 2009/10 season had been asked by TV magazine show Premier League World to draw a self portrait and sign their picture.
Many Faces
The book contains some of the biggest names in the Barclays Premier League including Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard and Carlos Tevez.
The Premier League offered The Art of Football to Nordoff Robbins to auction at the 15th annual Football Extravaganza. Nordoff Robbins brings music's transforming power to children and adults in need, through the delivery of music therapy services, music and health projects and community music projects, as well as education programmes and research.
The final additions to the book were Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and former Old Trafford hero Eric Cantona. The Frenchman received the 'Legend of Football' award at the Football Extravaganza, recognising the outstanding contribution he made to the British game.
In keeping with the spirit of the book, both men added themselves by sketching memorable drawings: Cantona drew himself as a man of many faces, while Ferguson encapsulated himself in more cartoon form.
Speaking to Premier League World, Sir Alex Ferguson explained his drawing and paid tribute to the Football Extravaganza and Nordoff Robbins.
Young Kids
Ferguson said: "I tried to do something happy and jovial because Nordoff Robbins does a lot of wonderful work in delivering music therapy to children. They need happiness, some hope and encouragement so that is the basis of my drawing.
"The book is a fantastic idea. I don't think anyone expects it to give young kids any inspiration to be artists but it certainly provides a talking point with all those great names in it."
He added: "The entire Football Extravaganza event reflects football's contribution to a fantastic charity. It really is an inspiration, and owes much to the energy of Alan Curbishley, who got it started, and his brother Bill, who brings the musical connection through being manager of The Who.
"Over the years most managers have got on board and it is just getting bigger and bigger and has become a really tremendous event."
Commenting on Cantona's work, which features many faces in his self portrait accompanied by the statement "Who am I?", Ferguson joked: "I think he was maybe doing all my faces! I remember a player I had at Aberdeen, Stuart Kennedy, who claimed that he would come in the morning and say, "what head has he got on today?" But he didn't say it in front of me, I may tell you.
"Eric's drawing is certainly interesting. I knew he would do something different because Eric has got that different mind and is a great thinker. Eric is special: sometimes someone walks into your life, or walks into the club at the right moment, and I think Eric was that player."
To view a gellery of self portraits from The Art of Football book, click here
