On Saturday, Premier League giants Manchester United made a surprise announcement after Benni McCarthy was roped in the club as one of coach Erik ten Hag’s backroom staff.
This might come as a surprise to the football fraternity. However, it was undoubtedly not a shock because of the kind of striker McCarthy used to be during his playing days.
McCarthy’s appointment at Old Trafford means he will now be working with world-class superstars like Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and one of the world’s best, Cristiano Ronaldo, if he stays at the club.
FARPost looks at how the 44-year-old fared during his time in England’s top flight.
The South African leading all-time scorer had two stints in the Premier League. First, he had a remarkable tenure with Blackburn Rovers, which lasted for years, stretching from 2006 to 2010. In January 2011, he crossed town and signed for London side West Ham United, a move which can be described as short and a total fiasco.
Blackburn Rovers
The ex-AmaZulu mentor built his name and reputation in England after joining Blackburn Rovers from Portugal giants FC Porto. He quickly adapted to the Premier League, netting 18 goals in 36 matches in his debut season.
In the following three seasons, his form dropped; however, managed to find the back of the net on many occasions. All in all, he managed to score 37 goals and provided six assists in 109 league appearances during his time with The Riversiders.
West Ham United
The former Cape Town City mentor is ranked one of the worst-ever strikers to join the Hammers. After completing a move from Blackburn, the goal poacher, however, failed to replicate his reputation and scoring record.
He only made 11 league appearances for Irons and failed to score a single goal. This led him to part ways with the club in April 2011, ending his four-month stay after the termination of his contract by mutual consent.
At one point, the 2004 Champions League winner was fined £200,000 by the club for being overweight.
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