Eric Cantona poses nude for French magazine

"She is super feminine, he's super manly... and it's him that we've undressed," boasts the French Elle magazine. 

Indeed, a totally naked Eric Cantona will be on show in news kiosks around France from Friday, together with his totally clothed actress wife Rachida Brakni.

The pair have been invited by the magazine to talk about love and relationships -- and who better to ask than a celebrity couple who've been together for 13 years. 

While Le Parisien newspaper revealed that Cantona's most private parts never go "offside", there is a picture inside the magazine showing Brakni taking a firm grip on the former footballer's behind.

Several French Twitter users applauded the move by Elle to show a man naked in a magazine for a change. 

"For once, the roles have been reversed," wrote one.

Besides the modelling, the man credited with sparking Manchester United's period of dominance in English football has carved out a successful second career as an actor since hanging up his boots.

He is currently performing in the stage play 'Victor' at a Parisian theatre and also stars in the movie 'Rois du Monde' (Kings of the World) directed by Laurent Laffargue.

He was most recently in the headlines last month when he promised to house and feed refugees for "a period of two years".