Benni McCarthy Admits He Would Leave Harambee Stars After Dream Job Opens in UK: 'I Would Put My Life Down'

Former Blackburn Rovers star Benni McCarthy has thrown his hat in the ring for the vacant head coach position at Ewood Park, stating he would return to the club "in a heartbeat."

The 48-year-old, who scored 52 goals in 140 appearances for Rovers between 2006 and 2010, is currently the manager of the Kenyan national team.

Blackburn are searching for a new manager after interim boss Michael O'Neill opted to remain with Northern Ireland following a successful spell in which he secured the club's Championship status last season.

Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, McCarthy expressed his deep affection for the club and his ambition to lead them back to the top flight.

"I love Blackburn Rovers, and I would put my life down that I would want that club to succeed so bad, to get them in the Premier League," McCarthy said. "And maybe that's what they need instead of always going for the tried and tested?"

He added: "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."

Since hanging up his boots in 2013, Benni McCarthy has built a diverse coaching resume. He started at Scottish side Hibernian before managing Cape Town City and AmaZulu in his native South Africa.

He also served as a first-team striker coach at Manchester United from 2022 to 2024 before taking the Kenya job in March 2025.

Despite his achievements elsewhere, including a Champions League title with Porto, Benni McCarthy holds a special place for his time in Lancashire.

"Porto always has a special place... Ajax Amsterdam, a special place... But Blackburn Rovers is where I was at home," the former South Africa international explained.

"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."

McCarthy acknowledged his relative inexperience as a manager compared to other candidates but urged the Blackburn hierarchy to consider taking a calculated risk on a younger coach.

"I understand I'm a young manager, very fresh, new in this game," he admitted. "But then I look at it [the same] as playing football. Sometimes when you have a talented young player, that's good enough, are you going to take a risk?"

He pointed to the success of Vincent Kompany, who led Burnley to a dominant Championship title before earning a move to Bayern Munich.

"Very inexperienced coach but when people believe in young people, they can exceed their expectations," McCarthy noted. "So I think sometimes going for the tried and tested doesn't always work."

While understanding the board's potential hesitation, McCarthy concluded that the potential rewards of appointing a less-established manager could be significant. "Sometimes the reward is far greater than the risk," he said.