Even from halfway across the world, Manchester United forwards coach Benni McCarthy is making his voice known with regards to helping his former team Cape Town Spurs according to current assistant coach Vasili Manousakis speaking exclusively to Soccer Laduma.
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Manousakis has taken on the challenge of stabilizing Spurs' season following a disappointing return to life in the top flight.
The experienced coach is using all the help he can get and he revealed that he made a phone call very few people are able to, to his Manchester-based friend and former colleague Benni McCarthy before taking up the job at the Urban Warriors.
McCarthy knows the club all to well, as it is the place where he first burst onto the scene as a player in 1996.
"I think the first couple of calls [to Benni] were, 'this is the opportunity that's presented itself'. You know he gave me guidance and his opinion. I think everybody knows we talk often, maybe on a weekly basis. We talk tactics, we talk family, we talk everything you know. So, it's good when you have somebody firstly, that calibre as a coach, as a player that's played there - but also someone that's close to you, that believes in you and also motivates you to jump in, add value, take the project," he told Soccer Laduma in an exclusive interview.
"So yes, tap into his knowledge and it's not many people that are able to do that, so I'm really grateful for that. And yeah, we're gonna go for it. And same with Moeneeb Josephs, old Spurs goalkeeper. We spoken, we spoken today, we spoken a couple of days ago, so it's those kind of relationships that also give me the positivity to say, 'Listen, we're heading in the right direction, it's a good project and now we need to turn the ship around'."
Manousakis also shares that he was not surprised by how well McCarthy has done since being roped into the first-team setup at the Red Devils given the quality he possesses as a coach.
"Listen, when it was announced that he was going to United, obviously I knew a little bit before, and everyone was going 'wow, wow' Some, maybe even a little bit surprised, but I've known his quality, I know what kind of coach he is, and I know what kind of manager he is. He's dynamic, so I wasn't surprised at all at what he's doing with the players. I think (there is) this article on how much the players love him and respect him. He speaks the languages and that's the environment that he creates and that's why for me, you know, he's the number one that I've ever worked with and who knows where we'll end up together in the future again?"
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