Benjamin Sesko bringing 'fear factor' to Man Utd as Dimitar Berbatov discusses £74m striker's super-sub role

Since the turn of the year, the 22-year-old has found a rich vein of form, becoming a central figure in a Red Devils side that has climbed to third in the Premier League table. A run of eight goals in his last 11 appearances has taken Sesko's tally to 10, making him the club's joint-top scorer alongside fellow summer signing Bryan Mbeumo, despite often having to make an impact from the bench.

Berbatov, who knows a thing or two about leading the line at Old Trafford, has been particularly impressed with how Sesko has handled the pressure of his £74 million ($99m) move from RB Leipzig.

Speaking to the official Inside Carrington podcast, ex-United frontman Berbatov said of Sesko's development: "He has all the qualities right now, everything in this moment is working well with him.

"I hope it continues in this way. I think, right now, things are getting good for him and things are working out slowly for him. But I prefer it like this. I want him to slowly, but surely, get that confidence, get the goals, which they are both connected. When you get the goals, you get confidence. He is finding his position into the team but, even if he is on the bench, the sign of him coming onto the pitch now brings that threat and that fear factor in the opposition and it brings the goals.

"It's very good, seeing him getting off the bench, sometimes scoring goals. Starting and scoring goals. To be honest, I don't care what type of goals he scores, as long as the ball hits the back of the net."

While Sesko has been prolific, a significant portion of his success has come as a substitute, leading to the super-sub tag being applied by media and fans alike. While Berbatov has been positive about his role, this label has not been well-received by the player's agent, Elvis Basanovic, who insists that the Slovenian is a complete striker who deserves to be viewed as more than just a late-game tactical weapon.

"If you ask me about this name [Super-sub], I don’t like it," Basanovic said. "I like ‘super striker’ much more. I think Benjamin is a super striker. He has started 13 games this year, coming off the bench in 13 games. He scored half of his goals when he started the game and half when he came off the bench. We can see that he is a complete striker and Benjamin is someone who deserves the name 'super striker!'"

The focus for United now shifts to the final stretch of the season, where they must secure their place in the top four. Sesko's contributions will be vital as they prepare for high-stakes clashes after the international break, starting with the visit of Leeds United to Old Trafford on April 13.

Berbatov added on his old club's progress as they chase down Champions League qualification under Carrick: "I think the team is playing really, really good football. And I mean it's a joy to watch. Every time, it's like okay, we can do more, because we are in third place now, if I'm not mistaken, so here we go. I think [it's] the whole team, as a team, it's easy to point to say this guy or that player and you can easily say Bruno [Fernandes], Casemiro, Sesko, with the goals he's scoring, [Matheus] Cunha.

"It's everybody, it's not going to be fair to the whole team. As a team, all of a sudden, they are playing for each other. The assists from Bruno, the goals from Sesko, the fire from Casemiro to get the ball. The defending, as well, has improved. Everything right now is flowing, free flowing, and I hope, until the end of the season, we are going to get more of this."

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