Benni McCarthy has spoken about his eagerness to return to Blackburn Rovers as a coach, highlighting his deep connection to the club and his desire to help them achieve Premier League success. Mohamed Aly/BackpagePix
Image: Mohamed Aly/BackpagePix
Former Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy confirmed on Thursday he is open to returning to his former club, Blackburn Rovers.
McCarthy is widely regarded as the best striker ever to play for Bafana, and is the leading scorer for South Africa with 31 strikes.
McCarthy played 140 matches for the English club Blackburn between 2006 and 2010. In that time, he scored 52 goals for the club.
When McCarthy hung up his playing boots in 2013, he turned to coaching, including stints with Cape Town City and AmaZulu. His break, it seemed, came when he was appointed as Manchester United’s first-team striker coach between 2022 and 2024.
"I love Blackburn Rovers, and I would put my life down that I would want that club to succeed so badly, to get them in the Premier League," McCarthy told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"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.”
Though McCarthy has not yet been considered as a serious candidate for the job and is currently the coach of the Kenya national team, he encouraged Blackburn to take a chance on him.
"I understand I'm a young manager, very fresh, new in this game," he said.
"But then I look at it [the same] as playing football. Sometimes when you have a young player that's talented, that's good enough, are you going to take a risk?
McCarthy is also a UEFA Champions League winner with Porto, famously leading the side to victory in 2004.
"Porto always has a special place because of my achievements as an individual, as a team," said McCarthy.
"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."