HE may just have lost his status as South African football’s darling, be the wrong the side of 30 and constantly linked with a move away from Ewood Park – but as far as Benni McCarthy is concerned ‘there is life in the old dog yet’.

The Rovers hitman is starting his fourth season in East Lancashire determined to banish memories of what he describes as a “nightmare campaign” last time round as he looks to prove his growing doubters wrong.

McCarthy’s omission from the Bafana Bafana’s Confederations Cup squad this summer has even thrown his World Cup dreams into jeopardy but, with his nation playing hosts in 10 months’ time, he knows next season could yet prove his biggest yet.

Not that the 31-year-old is losing any sleep over his rapidly vanishing World Cup hopes, he knows if he continues to do what he does best at Ewood Park then a recall could not be very far away.

He has been in the international wilderness over the last couple of years though, after a series of disputes with senior officials, and concedes there is no guarantee even his top form will earn him a South African reprieve.

He said: “I want to start from the word go and that is where my focus is. If I can do that and the team can achieve well, getting picked for the national team could happen.

“I am concentrated on Blackburn and making sure we do better than we did last season. I can do nothing about the South Africa situation. I want to be there next summer but we will have to see what happens.

“I had a lot of desire to play with the national team in my home country in the first World Cup in Africa. I still do.”

Having scored 13 goals from just 20 starts last campaign, McCarthy again finished top scorer at Ewood Park after a prolific end to the campaign under new boss Sam Allardyce.

It was a different story some 12 months ago though when the striker returned to Blackburn unfit, out of favour and seemingly discontent during Paul Ince’s troubled regime.

McCarthy said: “Last season I barely featured in the first 10 matches and then problems started arising and I started to get my chance towards the end of Paul Ince’s reign. I don’t want to start like that again.

“It was a bit of a nightmare and my thoughts are getting a better and much bigger start than I did last season. Myself and Jason Roberts have formed a good partnership and we love playing together but we understand there needs to be more competition for places.

“Roque Santa Cruz left, which we were all disappointed about, because he was the ideal striker. But we will be okay without him. I think we showed that towards the end of last season.”

Accusations of a lack of fitness have long been thrown at McCarthy during his Ewood Park spell, with even current manager Sam Allardyce calling for him to shed some pounds towards the start of his own reign.

McCarthy responded by firing the goals to help Rovers to Premier League safety and is confident he is even better equipped for the challenge this time around.

He said: “The physical part is becoming much, much better.

“I look sharp and feel as though I can finish 90 minutes and once I can improve that part of my game then the goals side will come.

“Last season I got niggles and I was playing catch up but now I think I am at the same level as everyone else.

"People say the older you get the worse it becomes but in this case it feels okay.

"I am surprised I am managing so well.”