Benni McCarthy stance on Man Utd salary after becoming Rashford's secret weapon

21 February 2023 , 08:32

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Benni McCarthy stance on Man Utd salary after becoming Rashford's secret weapon

Marcus Rashford might be the man grabbing the headlines, but behind the scenes, Benni McCarthy has been crucial to his Manchester United renaissance.

Last season the academy graduate was a shadow of his former self with confidence and form deserting him. Now he's emerged as Europe's most potent striker, with his goals keeping forcing his side into the Premier League title hunt.

Rashford's brace in the 3-0 win over Leicester at the weekend meant he set a personal best for goals in a single season, notching his 23rd and 24th goals of the campaign. They were his 15th and 16th strikes in 17 games as his red hot post-World Cup streak continues.

And off-the field, McCarthy is playing a vital role. The former Blackburn and Porto man, who once scored a brace to help knock United out of the Champions League, was something of a left-field choice when hired by Erik ten Hag in the summer as he searched for a disgnated forwards' coach. He's more than repaid the Dutchman's show of faith.

McCarthy's desire to work for the Manchester outfit was such that, according to the Daily Mail, after being offered the role he accepted without asking what the salary would be. The 45-year-old has worked on the art of goalscoring, how to time runs, when to attack space and when to stand still, and the types of finishes that certain situations require with Rashford throughout the course of the campaign so far.

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He has worked on an individual basis with Jadon Sancho is recent weeks following the England winger's return to the Red Devils' set up, whilst Anthony Martial also turns to him for advice.

Rashford and the South African have paid particular attention to his heading and how to attack crosses, reaping rewards in recent weeks. The Englishman said: "He's definitely helped me a lot. To have attack-minded coaches is good for us. He's always there speaking to us about these things."

Benni McCarthy has been assisting Man Utd's forward stars (Getty Images)

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For Ten Hag his arrival made perfect sense, given he freely admits he has minimal knowledge about life in the 18 yard box; thus he was keen to have someone on board who made a career out of scoring goals.

"In our coaching staff, we had a lot of defenders and midfield players," he said. "I wanted to find a good balance. He is offensive-minded as he is a former striker, and that is also a really specific task in the team.

"I never played there, so I'm lucky to have someone on my staff who did. Football is about scoring. You have a goalkeeping specialist, but you also have offensive specialists and, in particular, we have a specific scoring coach."

McCarthy's well-travelled career, which saw him play in an array of countries, means he can speak four languages which helps him communicate with the entire squad.

The coach has said on his ambitions: "I want to help these young players, push them, change their mindset and really try to make the difference to United this season. Hopefully, this season we are going to see a completely revived United — a hungry bunch of players."

So far, he's been worth his weight in goals.

Samuel Meade