Upon joining Blackburn Rovers in July,  Benni McCarthy  said: "It's a privilege and an honour to play for a team who show so much interest in a player, and not giving up hope and so want me, and when they got a chance they still went for me.

"It has always been a dream and I've had so many opportunities to come and play in England but in the end it always seemed to go wrong. But Blackburn haven't lost faith - they came last season for me and it didn't work out and this season they fought again, but finally I'm here, so I'm going to make the most of it."

Twice, once in 2003 and again in 2005, the UEFA Champions League winner seemed destined to sign for Everton and Blackburn respectively, only for FC Porto to decide that they wanted to cling on to the South African international at the very last minute.

Eight goals in 21 starts for Blackburn  suggest that he is eager to make up for lost time. McCarthy is relishing every moment of his time in the Premiership, but also has one eye on the  2010 FIFA World Cup™ , which will be played in his home country of South Africa.

FIFA.com: There are a lot of conflicting reports about your status with the South Africa national team? Can you clarify your situation?
Benni McCarthy: People know that I have had problems in the past, due to the club versus country situation. You always want to play for your country - it's a massive honour, but your club means a great deal to you. Quite often, South Africa's games have clashed with European club fixtures, which has put me in a very difficult position. For example, the African Nations Cup takes place in January and February - at a crucial point in time for the leagues.

Recently, I missed the games for South Africa because I wanted to establish myself at Blackburn and also my wife was having a baby. So, I just want to have a little bit of time off. It's giving younger players a little bit more experience, so I hope it's benefiting all parties. In the future, if they still think I'm the best striker, then I'd be honoured to go back. It would also be great to play in the World Cup in my country. 

So, how do you feel about the FIFA World Cup™ in 2010?
I'm so excited. I'm always finding out what South Africa is doing to prepare for the World Cup - both on and off the field.  It would be great to be there, to play in front of my people - and the fact that it's the first World Cup ever to be played in Africa makes it even more special.

How excited are people in South Africa and Africa as a whole?
When the World Cup is played, you can't get people away from the TV set. Of course, that has been when the World Cup has been played away from home, but now we have the opportunity to have it in our backyard, so we are delighted. They want to make a great impression on the world in order to show them that we can host one of the best World Cups in the competition's history. It's taken 76 years for it to come to Africa and I am sure it will offer them something different to what they've seen at the other World Cups. It'll be a tremendous party!

How would you assess the potential of football in South Africa at the moment?
It is making progress. We still have a lot to learn. We're a young nation. We're getting bigger by the day - and we're getting more established on the football field too. So, as time goes by, we're getting better and better. Thankfully, we're using the experience of European coaches who are a lot more advanced and experienced than South Africans, but we are still not at the level where we would all love to be at. However,  we still have three and a half years to improve  by the time the next World Cup comes along. Hopefully, we'll be ready to take on the world by then.

Do you think the fact that more and more African footballers are playing in the Premiership is a sign that standards are improving?
It is very difficult for African footballers to adapt to European football - and the European way of life in general. It's only now that we're making our mark on the Premiership. We have to adopt a new way of playing, thinking - and, of course, the weather. The winter in South Africa is like the English summer. It's absolutely freezing here at the moment! I don't know whether we are actually improving, but we are adapting - and that's a very good sign.

How does the Premiership  compare with the other leagues you've played in?
It's so physically demanding and every game is like a cup final. I've played in Holland, I've played in Spain, I've played in Portugal, and not every game is so fast and so difficult. Even if you're playing against the bottom team in the league, it's as difficult as playing Man United, Arsenal or Chelsea. In Holland, Spain and Portugal only a few teams made you really work hard and concentrate for 90 minutes. Here you have to be in top form in every game.

You have been linked with a move to the Premiership for some years. Now that you have finally arrived, how are you finding it?
The older you get, it gets a little more difficult because you're starting to feel that your legs aren't doing the things they once could! When I was linked with a move to England in the past, I was much younger, much fresher, so I think I would have coped better on the pitch. However, it works both ways. I'm more mature and I have more experience - and that counts for a lot. I'm enjoying it a lot.

At Blackburn, your manager is none other than Mark Hughes, the famous Manchester United and Wales striker. Did you know much about him prior to your arrival?
Know about him? He used to be my hero! He was a player who I always wanted to be like. I have so much respect for him - and I love learning from him.  It's a little bit strange actually because I have gone from being a big fan to standing next to him on the training pitch. I can't believe it - it's great to be able to rub shoulders with your heroes, because I was actually a Manchester United supporter as a boy. In South Africa I used to watch a lot of English football - everyone likes to see winning teams and I think that's why I adopted Manchester United. I used to know everything about them, but now I'm Blackburn through and through. Seriously, I couldn't have come to a better club. It may be a smaller club than United, but it has a big heart. I'm feeling loved and very welcome.

Playing for Blackburn in the UEFA Cup, you were subjected to racial abuse. UEFA banned the player (Wisla Krakow's Nikola Mijailovic) for five matches. Were you pleased with the way the situation was handled?
Yes. I was. Every club and every league is against racism - and football is trying hard to fight against it, but you still get people: players, coaches or fans, who will use offensive terms. Sport should unite people, not divide them, so I am glad an example was set. Maybe the next person who is considering using a racist term during a match will think twice. I hope this is the last issue of racism that UEFA has to deal with. It's one of the only bad things affecting the greatest game in the world.