Immediate former Manchester United strikers' coach Benni McCarthy insists Lyle Foster is headed in the right direction at Burnley and South Africa.
The Bafana Bafana forward was signed by the English side in the winter of the 2022/23 season and helped the then Vincent Kompany-led team to gain promotion to the Premier League.
However, they failed to sustain their status which led to relegation at the end of the 2023/24 season; despite links to Ipswich Town.
Lyle Foster's head screwed on the right direction
In the championship, he has scored and provided an assist in the eight games he has played for the Clarets.
“For Burnley, he has done well so far,” McCarthy – who is a free agent after parting ways with the Red Devils, told Whistle Podcast.
“He had his Premier League debut where he did okay. He had some major challenges which he overcame and it looks like he's back now.
“I'm in contact with Lyle so we do speak a lot and he seems to have his head screwed on right and his feet firm on the ground and he wants to succeed and I think with that Burnley team they can push again to get promotion to the Premier League and he will play a massive part in that.”
Foster is super important for Bafana Bafana
Foster controversially missed the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations where South Africa went on to finish third.
After solving the issues he had with coach Hugo Broos, the 24-year-old made a return to Bafana Bafana and McCarthy has explained why the forward is crucial for the national team.
“He's a player that's super important for Bafana in what they want to achieve whether it's qualifying for the World Cup or qualification for Afcon and winning it,” the 46-year-old coach continued.
“You need a player like Lyle because in my time we had loads of players that were playing in the biggest leagues in the world. When we go back we had a pool of players that came with different experiences from different countries and different clubs so it elevates the national team.
“When you have only one or two in the top leagues in Europe, it kind of pulls you back. But with the right coaching, you can achieve something special because this crop of players at the moment is a good generation.
“So the right coach could help achieve things and help the country qualify for a World Cup that they're so desperate for,” McCarthy concluded.
Foster is expected to lead Bafana Bafana's attack on Friday against Congo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
