Manchester United’s first-team striker coach between 2022 and 2024<\/a> and has been with the Kenya national team since March 2025.<\/p>\nBut McCarthy said there are a “few special places” in his heart, including Blackburn.<\/p>\n
“Porto always has a special place because of my achievements as an individual, as a team,” the ex-South Africa international said.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“And if you have an opportunity one day to work there, I would lay my life on the line for that football club.”<\/p>\n
McCarthy accepts he does not boast the managerial experience of other potential candidates but has urged senior figures at Blackburn to consider their strategy for next season.<\/p>\n
“I understand I’m a young manager, very fresh, new in this game,” he said. <\/p>\n
“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?<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“So I think sometimes going for the tried and tested doesn’t always work, the experience doesn’t [always] get you over the line.”<\/p>\n
McCarthy said he understands from the Blackburn board’s point of view that if they “take a risk on a younger coach and it doesn’t pay off, then they get scrutinised by the fans”.<\/p>\n
“They get scrutinised in the media for taking a risk on a coach who’s never really coached in the Championship,” he added. <\/p>\n
“But sometimes the reward is far greater than the risk.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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