He scored 59 goals in one incredible season... and now he plays for Manchester United

Man Utd striker Benjamin Sesko is enjoying a brilliant 2026 at Old Trafford after a challenging start at the club.

Benjamin Sesko and Erling Haaland crossed paths at Red Bull Salzburg. Sesko was scoring goals in the UEFA Youth League, while Haaland was on the cusp of joining Borussia Dortmund.

A few years back, Sesko admitted he wanted to be like Haaland during their time in Austria, but now they're both in Manchester, it's Haaland who will be envious of Sesko. Well, envious of his goalscoring record in 2026.

Haaland was prolific in the first half of the campaign, but he's notched three league goals in the calendar year. Meanwhile, Sesko has eight, putting a tricky start to life at Manchester United behind him.

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He has officially been the Premier League's most in-form striker in 2026, which has not been a complete surprise to United staff, given his meticulous preparation between games.

Sesko possesses the ability and the mentality to succeed, which is why club sources believed it was only a matter of time before the penny dropped.

He was born in Radece, a small Slovenian town of a few thousand people, where the most popular sport is handball, but it was with a ball at his feet that he earned a reputation as an exceptional prospect.

He started his career with his local club, NK Radece, aged just four, and moved to second-division Slovenian team NK Krško, when he was a teenager. It was during his spell with NK Krško that Sesko began to attract national attention Mirsad Mujakić was responsible for bringing Sesko to NK Krško.

"Beni was very shy and quiet at first contact. However, already in the first training sessions, he showed exceptional athletic abilities and technical knowledge, which players at this age usually do not have," he told the Manchester Evening News.

"He was an exceptional boy, all his teammates loved him because of his positive nature. At the same time, he knew how to motivate the team and encourage his teammates to work extra hard."

Word of Sesko's talent travelled quickly in Slovenia, with one of the country's biggest sports daily newspapers, Ekipa, running a story in December 2017 describing him as a "sensation."

"We are sure that you have not heard of Benjamin Sesko. And this is not surprising, because he is a boy who is only 14 years old," read the introduction. Elvis Basanovic, who represents Sesko, is quoted as saying he can confirm that he is a "truly exceptional talent."

In 2017/2018, Sesko scored 59 goals in 23 matches for NK Krško. He scored nine hat-tricks and averaged a goal every 27 minutes. Mujakić was in charge of the club's Under-15 side during that campaign.

"A lot of individual training was dedicated to finishing moves and heading," Mujakić explained. "He did this twice a week after training, each time for about 30 minutes. Even in his younger years, he was a very happy and positive boy, who also lifted the rest of the team with his energy.

"As a player at the age of 14, he showed exceptional football intelligence, which was also reflected in moves such as the sophisticated skill in front of goalkeepers."

Sesko attracted interest from Slovenian first-division teams. In 2018, he joined NK Domžale, where he spent a season. At the age of 16, Sesko signed his first professional contract with Red Bull Salzburg, which paved the way for a subsequent transfer to RB Leipzig.

Sesko has not forgotten his roots, despite his career soaring over the last few years. While he was at Red Bull Salzburg, he invited children from NK Krško to attend a game.

Robert Berić, another graduate of NK Krško who carved out a successful career in France, Austria and America, had invited children to watch him play on a handful of occasions in the 2010s. Sesko was part of the group that traveller and wanted to give back himself.

NK Krško were invited to watch Red Bull Salzburg's final home game of the season, when they would lift the league trophy. Amid the title celebrations, Sesko, who scored in a 3-2 comeback victory, made time to sign autographs and take photos with children from his former club. Every child was catered for.

"He was genuinely excited when he saw that 70 young footballers from Krško were cheering for him," recalled Mujakić. "When we first met Beni, we talked about football, and he mentioned that he wanted to play for Manchester United one day, as he is a fan of this club.

"How can you not be proud of him when you see that he can make his dreams come true and thus give us back the satisfaction for all the work we have invested in his development."

Sesko's dream move did not get off to the start he wanted. He was eased into the team by Ruben Amorim, and United fans scratched their heads when he was the last outfield player to take a penalty against Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup, but it was later clarified that he had cramp.

The 22-year-old got off the mark against Brentford at the end of September, and he scored again in the next game against Sunderland, but he did not score for the remainder of Amorim's tenure.

Sesko copped flak from Gary Neville for his performance against Nottingham Forest, with the United legend saying: “He's miles off it compared to the other forwards United brought in."

Amorim responded: "I'm relaxed. He's not relaxed. What I mean is that I understand how things are in football and he's going to struggle. That is normal. He has no experience here.

"If you don't perform every week, you are going to hear a lot of things from club legends, from pundits, from the media, and sometimes they are right. To have the ability to understand that is normal and still maintain your level of confidence is really hard for a young kid."

Discussing the impact of former United players criticising in the media, Amorim responded: "Of course, nobody likes to hear, but he [Sesko] has struggled a little bit, and that is a fact."

Sources at Carrington believe Sesko might not have seen Neville's comment, as he is rarely on social media. He prefers reading books at home and watching basketball.

Sesko's mature outlook has been behind his improvement in 2026. He never sulked during a difficult first few months in Manchester, instead putting in extra work before and after training.

Speaking after scoring against Everton, Sesko told the MEN: "For me, the way I look at the pressure, it’s something that, if I want to be a good player, I have to have. I take it as a privilege.

"It’s something that has [to be there] if you want to play at the highest level, and it’s about accepting it and not really caring about it. For me, it didn’t really affect me [the pressure to score goals this season]."

Sesko likes to meditate at home and use visualisation techniques ahead of matchdays. He has a close friendship with Diogo Dalot, who also reports to training earlier than required.

"He's an early bird as well, so the first few weeks we were coming into Carrington at the same time and we created this bond," Dalot told the MEN when asked about their relationship.

"We both have very similar ways of behaving and thinking, so it became a natural, good relationship, and I think that sometimes helps you to also adapt quickly to a new environment, to a new league, to a new country."

Michael Carrick has started Sesko just twice, but the interim boss is getting a fine tune out of him. And the most exciting thing about Sesko is that there is so much more to come from his game.

He has pulled out of international duty with Slovenia to fully recover from a knock he's been playing through over the last few weeks. In comparison, some United players have a lower pain barrier.

The more you learn about Sesko, the more likeable he becomes. He ticks every box for a United striker.

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