New Swansea City striker Sam Surridge is hoping some of the stardust he picked up from rubbing shoulders with Jermain Defoe and Callum Wilson can be sprinkled at the Liberty Stadium.
Surridge, 21, has completed a loan move from Bournemouth, where he was able view the England international strike pair at close quarters.
The sixth player to arrive at the club this summer, Surridge will compete with Borja Baston and Courtney Baker-Richardson for the central striker’s role vacated by Oli McBurnie.
He brings little in the way of top level experience – with only two Premier League appearances under his belt – but the ambition to show he has learned well from Defoe and Wilson.
“It was a great experience to train with them every day. You are trying to push them as someone young coming through, but you also pick up little things from them,” said Surridge.
“They are all good lads, they are always there to help and give advice. I get on well with all of them and when you are watching them on a weekend you always learn something.”
Surridge also had a loan spell at Oldham last season where he scored 12 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions, including eight goals in 15 games in League Two.
At 6ft 3in and just over 12st, he brings similar attributes to Tammy Abraham, who scored eight times while on loan at the Swans from Chelsea the season before last.
“I want to play regular football and score goals, that is what I have come here to do,” Surridge told the Swansea City website.
“It will help me and it will help Swansea and if I am scoring goals everyone will be happy.
“I’ve been on a few loan spells now and I think it is the best thing for me at the moment, to try and carry the momentum on from what was a big year for me. I want to carry it on.
“So, this is a massive season for me and that’s why I wanted to come here and show what I can do.
“I want to test and prove myself because I will need to do that if I want to be a Premier League player and I want to do my best for Swansea.
“It’s great to have the move done. You look at the facilities and it’s a lovely training ground, it’s of a Premier League quality and it’s great to know you are going to be working in these sorts of surroundings.
“I cannot wait to get straight into it, to start training and hopefully be in a position to make my debut against Derby at the weekend.”
Surridge – who will wear the number 19 shirt for his new club – becomes the sixth new arrival overseen by new manager Steve Cooper at the Liberty Stadium following on the heels of Jake Bidwell, Ben Wilmot, Freddie Woodman, Kristoffer Peterson and Aldo Kalulu.
