Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of South African coach Benni McCarthy as member of their coaching staff.
McCarthy has been appointed by Manchester United to form part of the club’s first team coaching staff under new coach Erik ten Hag.
McCarthy appointment broke the Internet
News broke earlier on Saturday about McCarthy joining Manchester United through a tweet from veteran sports journalist and anchor Robert Marawa. That tweet then sent South African football Twitter into a frenzy! British publications such as The Mirror and The Athletic UK then started to confirm the news, going as far as claiming the club would make an official announcement on Monday.
There was a bit of doubt cast upon the move momentarily, however, as it was later reported by TimesLIVE, that McCarthy had in fact denied the reports he would be joining Manchester United. But it always felt like part of the plan, as all parties awaited an official announcement by the club before speaking out publicly about the move.
That announcement duly came, and it came earlier than was anticipated, with Manchester United confirming that McCarthy will complete ten Hag’s coaching staff at the club ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The Red Devils website confirmed that McCarthy will be focusing on helping the strikers at the club, as a forwards coach. He will be working closely and directly with ten Hag in his new job.
This appointment is undoubtedly a dream come true for McCarthy who is admittedly a lifelong Manchester United supporter.
He also has a history with the club having scored two goals against them to knock them out of the 2003/04 Uefa Champions League campaign at the semifinal stage, with FC Porto under Jose Mourinho. He would go on to win the tournament with the Portuguese giants that season, making The Bafana Bafana all time top goal scorer the only South African to win a Champions League to this day.
McCarthy’s appointment by Manchester United will come as a welcome boost to him, having been clueless since parting ways with AmaZulu before the end of the last DStv Premiership campaign.
Here are the first set of pictures of McCarthy as a Manchester United first team coach:
The South African
