'Super Sam' - the Englishman battling Messi for Golden Boot

In nan extremity it wasn't nan Grizzlies, nan Titans aliases nan Predators who clinched nan first master sports title for a squad from nan authorities of Tennessee, but Nashville Soccer Club and nan Englishman affectionately dubbed 'Super Sam'.

Sam Surridge's winning extremity successful US Open Cup last earlier this period was conscionable 1 of 29 he has scored successful each competitions this season.

On Saturday, nan 27-year-old will proceed his quest to present further occurrence successful a metropolis much renowned for its state euphony than sporting prowess.

Surridge is presently 3rd successful Major League Soccer's (MLS) apical scorer title pinch 23 goals, battling it retired for nan Golden Boot pinch Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (26) and LAFC's Denis Bouanga (24).

Argentina fable Messi - and a Miami squad besides including Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Rodrigo de Paul - sojourn Nashville successful nan last regular play crippled arsenic some jostle for their seeding successful nan MLS Cup play-offs.

"Midway into nan play I was starring it and Messi caught up," says a smiling Surridge, whose family and friends successful nan UK person kept a keen oculus connected nan Golden Boot tussle. "He had a bully spell wherever he scored 5 doubles successful 5 games.

"It is awesome because he has an unbelievable goalscoring record. It has been bully to spell toe-to-toe pinch him, and you person Denis Bouanga arsenic well. It's bully to person that three-horse title now. We are each putting successful really bully seasons.

"It mightiness travel down to nan last game, which will beryllium absorbing for everyone. At nan aforesaid time, I person sewage my caput switched connected for what I request to do and I americium not reasoning astir that excessively much."

With NBA's Memphis Grizzlies a three-hour thrust away, nan sporting civilization successful Nashville has tended to revolve astir American shot and crystal hockey.

The metropolis is location to NFL squad Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators of nan NHL, who Surridge enjoys watching.

"It is beautiful intense," he explains, having been to respective games. "The measurement they play, they're a different benignant of humans - these large guys that will smash each other."

But buoyed by their US Open Cup success, Surridge says Nashville is besides becoming a "soccer city".

The shot nine - whose vice president Ian Ayre was antecedently astatine Liverpool - was only founded 9 years ago, joining MLS successful 2020. Their purpose-built Geodis Park holds conscionable complete 30,000 fans - Miami's sojourn will beryllium 1 of nan season's astir sought-after tickets.

"A batch of group for illustration their sports successful general," says Surridge. "They will spell watch nan NFL, NHL and soccer. They emotion it here. I person seen it turn and nan Lionel Messi-effect decidedly helps.

"It is simply a batch much of an juncture successful America. They want to beryllium entertained, which is awesome because astatine nan extremity of nan time that's what we do.

"We are fortunate to get a batch of fans astatine our stadium, but a batch of clubs alteration stadiums erstwhile Inter Miami come. It is simply a monolithic juncture for nan shot club."

Surridge expects adjacent summer's World Cup successful North America will boost football's floor plan successful nan USA further, but he is concerned astir nan power - Nashville often train astatine 8am earlier it gets excessively hot.

"It's going to beryllium really difficult for players to set to nan heat," he adds. "You saw it successful nan Club World Cup, wherever teams couldn't moreover train because it was truthful basking and it is not easy.

"I cannot ideate what playing astatine 3pm successful nan mediate of nan time will beryllium like. You get your h2o breaks, but that conscionable doesn't thief astatine all.

"It is going to beryllium a batch slower. You don't want to suffer nan shot and beryllium moving astir for half an hr trying to get it backmost successful nan heat."

Surridge's travel has taken him connected a alternatively different way to that of nan 38-year-old icon he is trying to way down.

Messi had conscionable won a 4th Champions League and nan 5th of his 8 Ballon d'Or prizes erstwhile Surridge was sent retired connected indebtedness by Bournemouth to Weymouth successful nan Southern League arsenic a 17-year-old.

He continued to study his waste and acquisition pinch indebtedness spells astatine Poole, Yeovil, Oldham and past Swansea City earlier breaking done pinch nan Cherries successful nan Championship successful 2020-21, moving to Stoke City and past Nottingham Forest successful January 2022.

The striker scored 7 times arsenic Steve Cooper's broadside earned promotion to nan Premier League that season, but only 1 of his 20 top-flight appearances nan pursuing word came arsenic a start.

"I look astatine coming from Weymouth, past Poole Town, Yeovil, Oldham and each these clubs that I played for erstwhile I was younger - they each gave maine that grounding," adds Surridge, who joined Nashville successful July 2023.

"I learned a batch there. It put maine successful bully stead for playing successful America because they person astir apt not knowledgeable nan measurement I played. Even though it was difficult going retired connected indebtedness erstwhile I was younger, it has stood maine successful bully stead now."

On competing pinch Messi, he says: "It is amazing. At nan aforesaid time, I want to support nan travel going. I cognize I'm not astatine my highest yet. I person sewage truthful overmuch that I request to support learning.

"Since I person been successful America, I person learned a batch astir my crippled and what I want to amended on."

Surridge's Forest exit came during a summertime successful which nan Premier League outfit brought successful 14 players. Nashville presented a caller opportunity and paid astir £5m to make him 1 of their designated players.

"I wanted to spell and play. I wanted to effort thing different," he explains. "I felt for illustration I wanted a different challenge. Nashville gave maine that opportunity erstwhile they said, 'here is nan number 9 shirt, you travel do nan business for us'.

"I consciousness for illustration I person repaid their faith. That is what I've wanted from a team. I had it successful spells successful my career, but for this magnitude of clip I've not really knowledgeable that.

"Now I person sewage it, it will return a batch to want to move connected from that. So I'm very happy."

Surridge has recovered assurance and calmness successful Nashville, a spot he enjoys calling location pinch his fiancee, young boy and their dog.

That has transcended into nan astir prolific play of his career, pinch 29 goals successful 36 games - almost double his erstwhile champion of 15 successful 32 appearances past term.

"Experience and property helps," he explains. "I've carried connected moving hard. As you get older you get much acquisition and erstwhile successful beforehand of extremity you are a batch much calm.

"That information of having nan backing of a nine that want to play maine each week decidedly helps arsenic well. I cognize what I need, and I cognize what I want from a nine and players now."

You won't find him connected Broadway aliases successful nan city's celebrated honky-tonk euphony bars. "Definitely not my cup of tea," he says pinch a laugh. But Surridge would urge nan Nashville area to anyone considering a move to MLS.

"I emotion it and it is perfect. Nashville arsenic a spot is superb for america arsenic a family," says nan Slough-born forward.

"We person enjoyed travelling and seeing different parts of America. We are fortunate to unrecorded present successful a bully city, it's decidedly made that easier."