Benjamin Sesko shares how his early career took him through two different roles before he settled as Manchester United’s striker
Benjamin Sesko, the Slovenia international who plies his trade for Manchester United, explains that his path wasn’t a straight line to the striker position. In his formative years, he played in two distinct roles before ultimately finding his goal-scoring niche.
In the 2025-26 season, Sesko contributed seven goals and one assist across all competitions for Manchester United, making 23 appearances at Old Trafford. Over his last six outings, he has been on a goal-per-approximately-48-minutes pace, underscoring his growing influence in the squad.
The 22-year-old forward joined United last summer amid Ruben Amorim’s leadership, with an initial transfer fee of £66.3 million. His first year in the Premier League has been a period of adjustment as he acclimates to the league’s pace and demands.
During Michael Carrick’s spell as interim manager, Sesko was not included in United’s starting XI for the opening five league fixtures, signaling that he was still finding his footing in English football.
A significant moment in Sesko’s personal development came from his admission that he once trained as a shot-stopper. He revealed this on United’s official podcast, Inside Carrington, noting that his father was a goalkeeper who also briefly explored other sports before returning to football.
Sesko recalls a pivotal memory from his goalkeeper days: a moment when he looked to his father mid-game and thought, “This is so boring. I’m not involved enough in the action.” He saw his teammates attacking and realized he craved a goal for himself.
After trying another position post-goalkeeper phase, Sesko ultimately found his place as a centre-back early on, before transitioning to striker around ages 12 or 13. He describes enjoying the variety of experiences and explains that his evolution into a forward felt natural, as he began to focus on scoring and attacking play.
Today, United sit fourth in the Premier League and trail Aston Villa by five points in the race for third. Their upcoming fixture sees them traveling to face Everton at Goodison Park on February 23, with an 8:00 PM UK kickoff.
Would you like to see Sesko get more regular starts given his recent scoring form, or should United continue to balance his development with rotation? Share your take in the comments.
