Benni McCarthy has described Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag as a humble, top-notch football brain and he wants to learn as much as he can from the Dutch mentor.
McCarthy is the feature interview in this week’s edition of iDiski Times, as he spoke to Rob Delport in his first newspaper interview with South African media since joining the English Premier League giants as a first-team coach, with a focus on working on the attacking department.
McCarthy, who has already helped United to win the Carabao Cup and reach the FA Cup final, says he is learning so much from everyone in the technical team, especially Ten Hag, admitting he’s arriving at work at 6 am each to “sponge off” the United manager but also to contribute to the team’s success.
“I think I want to learn as much as I can from this manager,” McCarthy told iDiski Times.
“He has such humility. He is humble, he is incredible, like just a complete gentleman in the game.
“And he is top, top, top, top-notch in terms of tactics, in terms of the way you want to play. And his clear vision, what he has in store for the team. Like, you know, so yeah.
“So I’m just sponging off him. So I like getting in early in the mornings so that I am around when the coaching staff are here. Because just the levels that we work at.
“It’s just learning so much. And then also contributing. I’m not just here to learn, but contributing as well. Putting my weight in and putting in what I know about the game. So contributing as much as learning.”
You can read all of McCarthy’s exclusive interview in Edition 101 of iDiski Times, out now in Shoprite stores. The free digital edition will be released on Friday on this website.
