Sam Surridge has explained to Match of the Day what Nottingham Forest assistant manager Alan Tate said to him after he scored the equalising goal during yesterday’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
The 24-year-old was introduced as a substitute and for his rewards for a very workmanlike cameo. He pounced at the back post to tap home after Brennan Johnson had done well with the cross.
It was Surridge’s first goal in the Premier League. He’s been used as a backup option during 2022/23 and as a result, he’s found hitting the back of the net hard to come by.
The striker signed from Stoke for £2.3 million did notch a couple of goals against Grimsby in August but that League Cup brace has been as good as it’s got for Surridge.
Now he’s off the mark he’d dearly love to get a run in the team and it will be interesting to see how Steve Cooper utilises him going forward.
After the game yesterday, the player was interviewed by Match of the Day and he claimed that Forest assistant boss Alan Tate kind of ruined the moment for him a little bit.
Surridge said after the game: “I knew I was going to get a goal today, I felt it.
“When I was running back, Tatey (Alan Tate) the assistant managed was saying, ‘Nah, it’s offside, get yourself back’, so it ruined it a little bit for me.
“But, it was special. As soon as the referee pointed to the halfway line, yeah, it was good.”
Surridge shared what Tate said and it’s quite amusing
This is the problem with VAR. Not only does it ruin the experience for a fan but it also makes it hard for players to celebrate goals once they’ve hit the back of the net.
Surridge should have been able to go wild in his celebration. He was booed onto the pitch by the Bournemouth fans who are clearly still smarting from his exit in the summer of 2021.
Instead, he was more subdued, with Tate telling him that he was actually in an offside position. Thankfully, his despair turned into glee and Forest left the south coast with a huge point.
Surridge will take a lot of confidence from this. With Chris Wood cup-tied for the game against Manchester United, perhaps the youngster will earn a start after his maiden Premier League strike.