Doenst matter again. He is a huge legend with us even without being selected for France. In fact, he is a bigger legend with us without the call.
Of course Eric is a huge legend to United. That's a self evident fact but one completely irrelevant to the original point you made.
However, your original point was that he did not need France when he clearly made himself available for them his whole career and would have liked to have been a part in more international tournaments for them, the same way as 95% of professional footballers want to be involved in such events. Eric wanted and needed international football as much as most players do.
Anyone who thinks club footballers don't want or need international football are deluding themselves. A certain section of footballers retire from international football to extend their club careers when they feel they have done as much as they can, but even these are in a minority and most of these have had long and distnguished international careers when they make that decision.
I have a certain indifference to international football nowadays, friendlies are boring and pedestrian games and the qualification for big tournaments are fairly routine and don't raise much excitement. However, the World Cups, European championships and Copa Americas are big tournaments and most international footballers want to play a part in them, including some of the best who have played for United.
I also have always been United greater than England but mainly because alot of England's match-going support have brought United into England matters since the 90's and as a red, I always going to defend United against anything else. It's died down a fair bit since the 90's peak mind you and Ronaldo in 06 was the last incident which was in that vein and for me that was nothing like what Becks got or as bad as having United players booed playing for their country such as happened at Elland road. I still want England to win games but it's not the same or as important as United for me and the emotions are nowhere near as high or as deeply routed or invested. Not even close.
However, the players do not have the same attitude at all and the likes of Robbo, Charlton, Law and Becks would see playing for their country as big as playing for their club. The likes of Giggs and Best have seen not playing at a major international event as the one unfulfilled part of their careers. It's a big part of a professional footballer's career and they all want and need it to a certain extent.
