Benjamin Sesko receives apology from former Premier League manager after backlash

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko has received an apology from a former Premier League manager after his recent upturn in form.

Sesko had scored six goals in his last seven appearances for United, mainly as a substitute, before being promoted to start Sunday's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.

The Slovenia international scored goal number eight for the season to win the game for United in the second half.

Sesko was signed from RB Leipzig for £74 million in the summer while Ruben Amorim was in charge, but only scored twice in 17 appearances under the Portuguese boss.

But he has finally found his form under interim boss Michael Carrick, and is quickly turning into a crucial player for United.

That has prompted an apology from former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood, who described as 'not good enough to play for Man United' during an appearance on Sky Sports in January.

Now, Sherwood has retracted that claim - and explained why he has done a U-turn in his opinion of the striker.

Speaking on the 'No Tippy Tappy Football' podcast, Sherwood said: "I based my assessment on the Benjamin Sesko I saw playing under Ruben Amorim. A striker who didn't want to stand up and take a penalty against Grimsby.

"Even the staunchest Man United fans will admit that he wasn't living up to expectations last year.

"I originally thought he'd turn out exactly like Wout Weghorst did and be another failed signing ... but I've been proven wrong, and I owe him an apology!

"Michael Carrick has completely transformed Sesko and now he's playing to his strengths. He's puffed his chest out, scoring great goals and scaring defenders with his pace.

"He's a different player to what he was a few months ago under Amorim."

The Athletic report that part of the reason behind Sesko's recent resurgence is his decision to visit the SPS Performance training camp in Dubai last month.

It is added that he visited the camp on 13 of his 14 days in the Gulf state, focusing on exercises designed to improve a player's speed and acceleration from a standing start.

As well as his winning goal in the 1-0 win over Everton - which saw Sesko sprint halfway down the pitch before scoring - those exercises will have no doubt played a role in his header against Crystal Palace, where he sprung up and powered the ball beyond goalkeeper Dean Henderson.