Ex-Hammers striker Benni McCarthy is backing former team mate Nuno Espirito Santo to "do something really special" during his time at West Ham United.
The South African forward and Portuguese goalkeeper spent a season together at Porto in 2003/04 following McCarthy's move from Celta Vigo the season before and became good friends during their brief spell as team mates.And now McCarthy - who was famously paid a basic wage of just £1,000-per-week during his sole season at West Ham in 2010/11 - is backing Santo to arrest West Ham's slide and restore the club's position as a regular European challenger.
"He was a top goalkeeper but he's become an even better manager," McCarthy, who currently manages the Kenyan national team, said.
"He brings results everywhere he goes. He changes the way teams play. When he joined Wolves, he turned them into a very good side, not a relegation-threatened football team, but a midtable team that could upset all the big teams.
"At Spurs he didn't get the time that he needed, but you could see that the dynamics were changing. His time was cut short there, then when he went to Nottingham Forest, wow. Unbelievable. What he's done, what he's achieved with that club.
"If given the time and the backing at West Ham with the players that West Ham have got, they could be a dangerous side. They've got really good players. If Nuno can get it right, he can get West Ham back in the top eight in the Premier League.
"The club has a loyal fan base. If you can get those players to really gel well and perform well, you can do something really special again with West Ham and put them back to being respectable."
And despite his outwardly stern and serious approach, McCarthy confirmed Santo has a playful side too - which he expects to see if and when the Hammers begin to turn their form around.
"He's just a fun-loving guy," insisted McCarthy. "He's a great teammate and a great personality to have in the dressing room, but he was a very serious guy as well when he needed to be.
"He was one of my favourite teammates that I had, and I never saw it coming that he would become a manager because he was very playful. Always had music on in the dressing room, and just made the environment really fun to be in.
"Nuno is probably the only black manager that’s fortunate enough to be in such an honourable space. For the rest of us, we’ll continue to work hard and hopefully that opportunity one day comes."
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