Benni McCarthy names job he’d quit BBC World Cup role for ‘in a heartbeat’ | Football | Sport
Benni McCarthy has been a welcome addition to the BBC’s World Cup coverage, with the icon of South African football having provided plenty of insight into the competing teams. However, the former Manchester United coach has made it no secret that he’d prefer to have a different job instead!
McCarthy was doing an interview with BBC Radio Lancashire when he claimed a return to Blackburn Rovers as a manager would be an honour. Rovers only just avoided the drop last season, with interim Michael O’Neill having steered the former Premier League winners away from the drop.
Since then, Blackburn have re-appointed Tony Mowbray, but McCarthy believes the club might need something different. He explained: “I love Blackburn Rovers and I would put my life down that I would want that club to succeed so bad, to get them in the Premier League.
“And maybe that’s what they need instead of always going for the tried and tested? The decision-makers are always there to make those hard decisions but if one day that call comes, I would be there in a heartbeat.”
McCarthy’s only managerial experience so far has come with clubs in his native South Africa, as well as the Kenyan national team. He recognises that could work against him, but would love to be given a shot at making it work.
He said: “I understand I’m a young manager, very fresh, new in this game. But then I look at it [the same] as playing football. Sometimes, when you have a young player who’s talented, that’s good enough, are you going to take a risk?
“Vincent Kompany, they’ve given him a chance and look what he’s done. He brought Burnley to the Premier League with an unbelievable [season], probably one of the best Championship seasons that I’ve seen a team have. Then he’s gone to Bayern Munich and you see how he’s doing. Very inexperienced coach but when people believe in young people, they can exceed their expectations. So I think sometimes going for the tried and tested doesn’t always work, the experience doesn’t [always] get you over the line.”
McCarthy played 140 times for Blackburn and netted an impressive 52 goals during that spell. But it isn’t just the Lancashire club that holds a special place in his heart.
He added: “Porto always has a special place because of my achievements as an individual, as a team,” the ex-South Africa international said. Ajax Amsterdam, a special place because it was my first club that took me from Africa and gave me the platform to be in Europe.
“But Blackburn Rovers is where I was at home. That is where my family is and there’s nothing greater than that. There’s not a single thing that I wouldn’t want to do to see that club succeed again. And if you have an opportunity one day to work there, I would lay my life on the line for that football club.”
