Tim Sherwood has made a U-turn on his opinion of Benjamin Sesko after previously claiming he isn’t good enough to play for Manchester United. The former Tottenham Hotspur manager apologised to the Slovenian striker.
Sesko has made Sherwood look foolish in recent weeks, coming to the fore as United’s saviour on four occasions. He has scored four goals in five games, including the winner in a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace last Sunday.
The 22-year-old arrived at Old Trafford from RB Leipzig last summer for £74m. Sherwood, like many, jumped the gun when the young forward made a slow start to life in the Premier League.
Sherwood’s sorry
Sherwood said that Sesko wasn’t fit to wear a Manchester United shirt in the early stages of the season. He has since been made to eat his words amid the Slovenian’s red-hot form, posting eight goals across competitions in 2026.
The ex-Spurs boss has now apologised and admitted he got it wrong. He said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast:
“I went early, I owe the kid an apology because Michael Carrick has all of a sudden put a battery charger in him.”
Sesko’s United career started frustratingly, as he struggled to find the back of the net consistently. He had to wait until his sixth league appearance for his first top-flight goal.
Sherwood added:
“He’s playing to his strengths, even when he’s coming off the bench. It was an injury to Dorgu which is the reason why he’s getting a lot more opportunities now. I’m judging him on what I saw in the early part of the season under Ruben Amorim. I’m judging him on not having the character to stand up and want to take a penalty against Grimsby.”
Sherwood’s Grimsby comment is debatable given it’s since been revealed that he was nursing a knock in the latter stages of that League Cup shock defeat. He did struggle under Ruben Amorim and has since become a focal point of the Reds’ attack under Carrick.
The former Aston Villa manager continued:
“Now I’m seeing the boy with his chest out. I saw him run and score that goal with the new signings at Everton. I said he shouldn’t be anywhere near a Manchester United shirt. I will go back on that and just say I’m going to give him time.”
Sesko will likely continue to lead the line when Carrick’s side face Newcastle at St James’ Park tonight. He is starting to live up to expectations and silencing doubters who were too hasty in their assessment of him.
Man United signed a gem
Sherwood’s comments about Sesko earlier this season might not even have reached the Slovenian. There are claims that he doesn’t spend much time online and prefers reading books during his downtime.
Perhaps the young centre-forward was studying the blueprint of becoming a successful number nine at Old Trafford. He need look further than to research the likes of Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
While Sesko is now firing on all cylinders, he is also impressing fans with his attitude and behaviour. Many big-money players who have arrived at Carrington have done so with huge egos.
According to The Athletic, Sesko opted not take the number nine shirt out of respect for Rasmus Hojlund. He arrived just before the Danish frontman left on loan for Napoli with the option of a permanent move.
Sesko took the number 30 worn since he rose through the youth ranks at RB Salzburg. No matter the number he is donning, it’s clear that the Reds have found their long-term target man.
