WATCH | 'To be here, it's special!': Benni speaks to ex-Bafana teammate Fortune on Man United move

Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy was a welcome surprise to South Africans as he joined the coaching staff of Manchester United's first team, the English Premier League giants confirmed on Saturday.

READ | Benni in Old Trafford's 18-area: Twitter reacts to McCarthy's appointment as Man United coach

The former striker is South Africa's leading goal-scorer in international football, netting 31 times in 79 appearances for the national side.

The 44-year-old McCarthy, a boyhood United supporter, has joined the Red Devils as a striker coach for the first team under new manager Erik ten Hag.

According to a statement on United's website, McCarthy will "specialise in coaching attacking plays and positioning".

He will work under Ten Hag together with assistants Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren and alongside Eric Ramsay and Darren Fletcher as coaches.

McCarthy was pitchside for the first time on Sunday in United's final pre-season match against Rayo Vallecano, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Before kick-off, McCarthy shared a special moment with MUTV pundits Wes Brown and former Bafana teammate Quinton Fortune as the duo were analysts for the match at Old Trafford.

Watch the clip below as McCarthy explains how "special" it feels for him to be on the coaching staff of Manchester United.

Benni in the 18 area pic.twitter.com/k6zst5F4LQ

(Watch the full clip via MUTV)

Brown and Fortune were part of the United team that suffered a defeat against Porto in the UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2004.

It was McCarthy who scored twice against the Red Devils in that infamous encounter when Porto knocked Alex Ferguson's team out of Europe's premier club tournament.

He is also the only South African with a Champions League winners medal, having won