He helped write Cantona’s trawler speech, so Watkins is well qualified for the choppy waters of British swimming

Evening Standard

As a man who has felt the hot whirr of an Alex Ferguson hairdryer and helped draft Eric Cantona’s infamous “seagulls following the trawler” speech, Maurice Watkins deserves to be listened to.

Not for nothing did he earn the nickname ‘Henry Kissinger of football’, honed after 28 years on Manchester United’s board, and now he is applying his diplomatic skills to another sport.