WHILE facing the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba may strike fear into some teenage footballers, Sam Surridge could be forgiven for having more important things to worry about.

The Cherries striker is gaining valuable experience during a loan spell at Yeovil and could start their prestigious FA Cup fourth round clash against Manchester United tomorrow (7.55pm).

Surridge may be pitted against internationals Antonio Valencia, Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling when the Glovers lock horns with the 12-time cup winners at Huish Park in front of the BBC cameras.

Plying his trade for the first time in the school of hard knocks which is League Two, Surridge has come up against some uncompromising defenders during his 27 games in the basement division.

And while Valencia, Lindelof and Smalling may refrain from trying to kick lumps out of him, it could be a different story when Grimsby visit on Tuesday, with both teams fighting for their respective lives.

Born in Slough and having lived in Ferndown since he was seven, Surridge said he was given an excellent grounding during a loan spell with Poole Town in their debut season in National South.

“League Two is relentless,” said the 19-year-old, who was schooled at Ferndown Middle and Ferndown Upper.

“We had four games in 10 days over Christmas and it was tough, mentally. You want to play every game but, physically, you are exhausted.

“If you get round a defender, they will just try to take you out and I have taken a few knocks in the past six months.

“When I was at Poole last season, I learned quite a bit so knew what they were going to do. They just want to smash you and, if they are not going to get the ball, they will get you.

“I was ready for it when I came here but it is a bit quicker than when I was at Poole. It is hard but it speeds up your mind so is a lot better than playing under-21s.

“When I first went to Poole, it was different from anything I had been used to. I felt more uncomfortable when I went there than I did when I went to Yeovil because I didn’t know what to expect.

“I feel very fortunate to be getting all this experience at such a young age.”

Like his FA Cup debut – a chastening 4-1 defeat for Poole against Chippenham in the second qualifying round last season – Surridge’s bow in the Football League was largely a day to forget.

Asked to come off the bench with Yeovil losing 7-2 at Luton on the opening day of the season, an injury-time eighth goal only added to the visitors’ misery.

Surridge recalls: “I didn’t meet the lads until the day before the game and knew I wasn’t going to start.

“The gaffer said I would come on. The scoreline could have been better and it was not a debut you want to remember but I was happy to get it out of the way.

“It was hard at the beginning because I wasn’t starting at all. I had to work my way into the team and have played more regularly recently. I am enjoying it and the gaffer is good to me.

“I have quite a few appearances under my belt and just have to keep scoring and making an impression so my gaffer at AFC Bournemouth and his staff can see what I am doing.”

Fast-tracked into Eddie Howe’s first-team squad following a series of impressive displays for the under-21s, Surridge is in his second spell at the club, having left as a schoolboy.

“I first joined when I was about eight or nine,” he said. “I was there for two or three years but the set up then wasn’t what it is now.

“It was a weird one. It wasn’t as if I got released, I just wasn’t enjoying it.

“I went to play with my mates at Bournemouth Sports and that really helped because I started to enjoy it again and found my love for the game.

“People in the academy kept watching me and Matty Holmes brought me back into the under-15s.”

Surridge’s exploits – he has netted seven times for Yeovil – recently earned him a new 18-month contract with Cherries.

A fan of the club who watched from the terraces, he says his dream would be to force his way into the Premier League reckoning: “I am at Yeovil to gain experience.

“I am learning so when I go back, either at the end of the season or the end of this transfer window, I will return the best player I can and then try to show the gaffer I can play in the Premier League.

“As soon as I heard they wanted to give me a new contract, I was really chuffed. It is nice to know they are looking out for me.

“I trained a lot with the first team towards the end of last season and in pre-season and it was great.”

Surridge featured in Yeovil’s first and second round wins against Southend and Port Vale but missed the third round victory over Bradford due to injury.

“When the draw was made, we were hoping for a big team and a home tie and got both!” he added.