Benjamin Sesko insists the scrutiny that comes with leading the line for Manchester United is not a burden but a responsibility he has chosen to embrace.

The Slovenian striker arrived from RB Leipzig in a high-profile £73 million transfer, a fee that immediately placed him under the microscope at Old Trafford. His early months were difficult, with only two goals in his first five months prompting questions about whether he could justify both the price tag and the expectation that comes with wearing United’s number nine shirt.

Sesko has responded in the most convincing way possible. Six goals in his last seven appearances, including a decisive winner away to Everton, have transformed the narrative around him and underlined why United pushed so hard to secure his signature.

For Sesko, the pressure is not something to fear but a necessary part of operating at the elite level.

“For me, the way I look at the pressure, it is something that, if I want to be a good player, I have to have,” he said. “I take it as a privilege. If you want to play at the highest level, it has to be there. It is about accepting it and not really caring about it.”

Interim manager Michael Carrick has managed Sesko carefully, resisting calls to start him every week. Against Everton, Sesko again began on the bench, only to change the game after coming on early in the second half and scoring 13 minutes later. It followed an equaliser at West Ham that had already strengthened his case for a starting role.

Yet Sesko maintains he is not obsessed with his name being on the teamsheet from the first whistle.

“We are talking of course, but Carrick believes in me, everyone believes in me,” he said. “It is more about me showing up when it is important, no matter how many minutes I am getting. I am focusing on delivering and helping the team secure the wins. I am not even thinking about having to start. If I get five minutes, I am going to use them.”

His emergence has mirrored United’s resurgence under Carrick. Five wins and a draw from six matches have lifted the team into the Champions League places, and Sesko believes that is no coincidence.

“Everyone is working for each other,” he said. “The coaching staff are unbelievable. They work on individuals and you can see that on the pitch. In the end, winning so many games and securing so many points is made out of details, and that is how we get all these points.”