Ex-Blackburn Rovers man reveals advice he gave to compatriot & Burnley striker Lyle Foster

Foster became the most expensive player in South African history in January when the Clarets paid a reported €7m fee to snatch him from Belgian side Westerlo.

That record had previously been held by McCarthy after the former Blackburn Rovers man was signed by Celta Vigo from Ajax in 1999 for €6m.

McCarthy, who now coaches at Manchester United, has revealed he’s already spoken to Foster to give him some advice ahead of his first season in the top flight.

“I was just wishing him all the best and I just told him to prepare himself properly because he’s going to be on the biggest stage in the world in the Premier League,” he told South African publication Marawa Sports Worldwide.

“And every opportunity, whether it’s half an hour, whether it’s five minutes, 10 minutes, the whole world will be watching him.

“He’s just got to take it all in and just do what got him there. He has worked all his life for this moment, so he must enjoy the journey and he must make the most of every little opportunity, small or big, that he’s going to get.”

McCarthy wants Foster to grasp his opportunity and show the world what South Africans are capable of.

“To play on the platform, when you come to Old Trafford, the Etihad, the Emirates, you soak it in but then you show them what we’re made of in South Africa,” he added.