Benni McCarthy reveals special bond with former Manchester United forward
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 24.09.25. | 08:21
It is while speaking of the 51-year-old tactician that McCarthy revealed his special bond with the midfielder
Despite leaving Manchester United over 14 months ago, Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has revealed a special bond with former Red Devils forward Anthony Elanga.
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Elanga joined United in 2015 as a youth player and grew through the ranks to the U18 and U23 before breaking into the senior team, but left the club in July 2023 for another Premier League outfit, Nottingham Forest.
At Forest, the 23-year-old was joined by Portuguese tactician Nuno Espirito Santo six months later, and the two worked together until this July when Elanga switched to Newcastle United.
It is while speaking of the 51-year-old tactician, who recently left Forest, that McCarthy revealed his special bond with Elanga.
“I also spoke recently to one of his (Nuno's) ex players, Anthony Elanga, whom I am friendly with, and Anthony only has kind words and praises to talk about Nuno,” McCarthy told Sky Sports
The former Bafana Bafana striker also recalled their playing days when they were teammates at Portuguese giants FC Porto.
“He is a humble human being, he's got an unbelievable personality, and his man management skills are second to none. I know him personally as a teammate...interacting with him after our playing days,” added McCarthy.
Both McCarthy and Nuno were part of the historic Porto side that won the 2004 UEFA Champions League, where the former was a striker while the latter was a goalkeeper.
Nuno would then leave in 2005 for Dinamo Moscow but would later return in 2007 after a stint at Desportivo Aves.
McCarthy, on the other hand, left for the English Premier League in 2006, where he turned out for Blackburn Rovers and later for West Ham United in 2010.
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As fate would have it, Nuno, who is currently a free agent, is linked with the coaching role at West Ham United, which is currently held by under-fire English tactician Graham Potter.
West Ham have posted a poor start to the season, where they have won only one of their first five matches and are currently 19th in the 20-team league table.
The Hammers' single victory coincidentally came against Nottingham Forest, a 3-0 defeat that sealed Nuno's fate at the club.
Additionally, the London-based club has already been eliminated from the League Cup, where they suffered a 3-2 loss to Nuno’s former employers, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Potter is now under pressure from both the management and the fans, who are calling for his sacking.
