CHERRIES boss Eddie Howe compared rising star Sam Surridge to Brett Pitman and said the signs were “very good” that the promising striker would continue to take steps towards the Premier League.

Ferndown-based Surridge has started his season-long loan at Oldham in sensational form, firing nine goals in nine appearances for the Boundary Park outfit.

The 20-year-old, named League Two player of the month for September, will hope to continue his fine run against visitors Port Vale on Saturday.

And Howe believes there are similarities in mentality between Surridge and Pitman, the latter of whom scored 96 goals for Cherries and helped the club win promotion from League Two, League One and the Championship across two spells.

Pitman was subsequently released and signed for Ipswich Town before moving on to Portsmouth before the start of last season.

Reflecting on Surridge’s efforts, Howe told the Daily Echo: “I’m really pleased with him. Sam is an unbelievable lad who really wants to do well. I could see the motivation from the first time I met him.

“He runs, he presses, he closes down, he’s got that goalscorer’s desire – very similar to Brett Pitman in the way he has to score.

“I think that’s a rare quality these days and a very good quality for any centre forward to have. It’s no surprise to me that he’s doing so well and I hope that continues.

“Sam and Brett are different players but in terms of mentality, there are similarities. Early in his career, Brett would play in a reserve game and we would get beaten by better teams, 5-1 or 6-1, but you would see Pitman on the scoresheet.

“It was that mentality and desire to score in any game which always struck me about him. He wasn’t happy that we had lost but he was on the scoresheet and it’s really important for young strikers to be in the habit of scoring.

“Sam is very similar. In any game, be that for the youth team or development squad, he had a feeling he had to score and he’s taken that into the Football League.

“Doing that on a consistent basis will only benefit him.

“If he wants to get to the Premier League, he has to continue to do that at all levels. There are more steps for him to take but the signs so far are very good.”

Schooled at Ferndown Middle and Ferndown Upper, Surridge bagged 10 goals in 53 appearances while on loan at Yeovil last season.

He played 90 minutes of the Glovers’ 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Manchester United at Huish Park in January.

Surridge, who has set his sights on topping the League Two goal charts, has also spent time on loan in non-league with Poole Town and Weymouth.

The Slough-born ace is in his second spell at Cherries, having left as a schoolboy.