Sussex in good start to winter season
New York Red Bulls ace Peter Stroud is used to being asked to try to shackle players such as global football icon Lionel Messi in the MLS.
And his brother Jared Stroud counts former Liverpool striker Christian Benteke as a team-mate at DC United.
But the pair swapped the star-spangled stage for the MKM Arena when they turned up to cheer on Bognor Regis Town to a 2-0 Isthmian premier division win over Sussex rivals Horsham.
So, what is the connection between the MLS stars and West Sussex's favourite non-league side?
Their dad Steve was a youth player for the Rocks back in the 1980s before moving to America.
Their uncle Scott Stroud is one of the owners of The Trading Post in nearby Barnham
and the family took advantage of the brothers' trip back to the UK to congregated at the Nye Camp to back
Robbie Blake's men.
The MLS players were on hand to pose with a Rocks shirt on the hallowed Nyewood Lane turf alongside Peter Kelly-sullivan, from the club's radio service, who helped organise their visit.
He said: "I spoke to Jacob Stroud at the Trading Post and he mentioned they were over and spoke of the Rocks connection.
"They were lovely guys and it was great to welcome them to the ground.
"Peter is 21 and a holding midfielder who plays for New York Red Bulls and was at West Ham's academy before going back to America.
"And he has played against Lionel Messi so you can imagine how that must have been for him!
"Jared is 27 is an attacking winger who played for St Louis FC, a new franchise for 2023 and they topped their conference league.
"He has now signed for DC United. He’s got five goals and six assists -- interestingly his nickname is Scary Jerry!"
- CARL ELDRIDGE
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The results from the first matches in the winter’s intercounty prone rifle competitions have been released and there has been a mixed bag of results for Sussex.
The A team have recovered from losing their first match against Caithness by beating Aberdeenshire and Yorkshire in their next two matches to leave them level on points with Surrey and Lothian at the top of the Division 1 table.
Leading Sussex scorers in those first three rounds were Chichester’s Rob Dowling with three possibles (100s) and clubmate Peter Leggett with 99, 100 and 98.
In Division 3, the B team started with a win over Gloucestershire but suffered losses in the next two rounds to Warwickshire and Berkshire to leave them in fifth place in the table,.
Top shots in the B team were Rosanne Furniss (Eastbourne) with 97, 100 and 98 and Hamish Matheson (Chichester) 98, 97 and 99.
The C team, shooting in Division 7, have started the season with three straight wins, beating Cheshire & North Wales, Kent B and Lincolnshire. Top shots for Sussex in those three rounds were Mike Kettle (East Grinstead) 98, 98 & 95 and Jan Whittle (Aldingbourne) 96, 98 and 96.
In the women’s league, Sussex A beat Kent and Aberdeenshire either side of losing to a strong Surrey team, leaving them in second place behind Surrey.
The leading Sussex shots after those three rounds are Linda Smallbone (Eastbourne) 100, 98 & 97 and Rosanne Furniss 97, 100 and 98. Sussex B are level on points at the top of Division 3.