The South African striker has been struggling with a weight problem since joining the Hammers from Blackburn last winter.
“I was surprised he was like this,” Grant told the Daily Telegraph. “He was brought here to perform and then there was the World Cup in his country.
“I can tell you he’s a very nice guy, I don’t know why he was like this.
“But he’s lost eight kilos and is a very good player and I’m sure he will help us – and that’s what’s important.
“If I look at the past about many things I will be like many people here at the club who always say ‘last year was not this, not that’… I say to everybody ‘I don’t care what happened. I’m looking forward’, and so is Benni McCarthy.”
