Cape Town City and Bafana Bafana speedster Craig Martin believes his former coach Benni McCarthy will make a huge impact at Manchester United.
Martin was plucked from amateur football by McCarthy in 2017 and four years later the Kensington-born 28-year-old midfielder made his Bafana Bafana debut in a friendly against Uganda.
He’s got a lot to thank McCarthy for and is backing his former coach to shine after being appointed as Erik ten Hag’s “attacking coach” at Old Trafford.
Martin believes the Bafana Bafana great can reignite the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and the returning Anthony Martial as the Red Devils look to improve from a swak sixth-placed finish last season.
Hailed a “new voice” in the setup by Ten Hag, Martin says McCarthy’s motivating words will get the Premier League giants their best with their campaign starting against Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday.
He says: “It’s a great opportunity for coach Benni.
“Plus I support United, that’s why I’m so happy for him.
“He obviously played a big role in my career. He told me to play my ‘parkie’ football. No one else saw my potential. I only played up until Vodacom league level until he gave me my chance.
“Lots of the attacking players there had struggles last season. He made me believe in my abilities and I believe he will do the same for them.”
With City skipper Thami Mkhize struggling with a calf injury ahead of Friday’s PSL opener against champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Martin looks set to fill in at rightback this week.