John Barry Nusum emulated his father yesterday when the striker made it a hat-trick of All-American squad selections.

Nusum, who just missed out on the prestigious Hermann trophy earlier in the week, added the 2001 NSCAA Division One honour to those afforded him in 1999 and 2000.

In doing so he repeated the feat his father John Nusum accomplished in the mid-1970s.

Nusum, a striker with Furman College in South Carolina, is the 22nd player to make three All-American teams and the first since US national team and now Sunderland player Claudio Reyna did between 1991 and 1993.

The Bermudian international is Furman College's all-time leader in goals and points, scoring 61 goals and 39 assists for a total of 161 points over his career.

"I am happy for the recognition and that my talent is being recognised over here," said Nusum from the US. "This season wasn't as good as the past two seasons and I think I got in the first team because my name was already out there.

"There are a lot of people that could be on that team that didn't get on. (As I said) this year I didn't have a great season but because my name was out there from the past two years I probably got more votes."

While proud, Nusum said his achievements and those of his father were entirely separate.

"I never really looked to try to achieve what he achieved. We are two different people, two different lives, I never really looked at it like that," he said.

Nusum said he plans to market himself in England in the hope of landing a professional contract.

"As of yet I am just weighing my options. I have to get an agent first," he said. "I have spoken to several people but right now I am just getting a feel for it.

"Regardless of what happens in the next couple of weeks I definitely want to try and play professionally somewhere.

"I would prefer to go to Europe because it (the game) is bigger over there and the US game is going through a lot (of changes) in the MLS so I don't know if that would be a solid career move a couple of years down the road."

Nusum senior, who was All American in 1974-75 and 77 at what is now Philadelphia University, is in no doubt his son has what it takes to make the grade.

"He definitely deserves it. There are a lot of very good players in the country and probably better on average than when I was there," he said. "So I think in a sense he has achieved a bit more than what I did because of the competition."

Nusum's father believes that regardless of his son's ability a great challenge lies ahead of him if he is to follow in the boots of Shaun Goater at Manchester City and Macclesfield Town's Kyle Lightbourne.

"Certainly he has got the raw talent, he has got the strength - a lot of what the English teams look for," he said. "(But) he is probably going to have work 35 percent harder than he has in the college game.

"He is going to find that out and it will be another experience for him - all of a sudden he is not the big boy on the block anymore, or he may not be.

"With that comes a lot of physical and mental adjustment. And I emphasise the mental adjustment because that can be tough too, just being able to survive on the bench or not even on the bench, for a period of time and trying to explain you're a kid worth having a look at.

"I give Shaun and Kyle a lot of credit because it was not easy for those guys.

"But they stuck with it and I guess they were focused on what they wanted to do."

Furman coach Doug Allison would appear to believe Nusum has that same focus.

"I can't say enough about John Barry," said Allison.

"He has meant so much to this programme over the last four years and to see him rewarded as a first team All-American in three consecutive years is tremendous.

"It is even more incredible when you realise that he is one of only 22 players to accomplish that feat and his father is one of them."