EXCLUSIVE: Nashville star Hany Mukhtar on MLS growth, Messi-effect and more | OneFootball

Nashville SC star, and former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar has seen plenty of growth in his five years at the club; both personally and as a league.

The Berlin born forward has developed into a true star in North America after making the move from Danish side Brøndby in 2020.

Mukhtar signed for Nashville ahead of their inaugural season in MLS, requiring a process of adaptation that top-level footballers rarely have to make in their career. And for Mukhtar, it certainly took some adaptation.

“For me, I was never in an environment where everyone was new," Mukhtar said in an exclusive interview with OneFootball. "You needed to get used to it. But the people here have been wonderful.

“I think Nashville is a very unique city, and a very special city. The people are so kind here. It is a blessing that I ended up here.

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“At the end of the day they wanted me to be the face of the team, and to build the team around me. I loved the idea. It was a great opportunity for me and I am very lucky to be here."

As he got comfortable with joining a club still laying down their roots in the city and the league, Mukhtar was also forced to adjust to the many quirks foreign players come to meet face-to-face when joining MLS.

“It was very difficult in the beginning," he recounted. "One reason was because of Covid, but then also the travel. It was so different from what I was used to in Europe.

“We had maybe three or four games with a plane [in Europe], and the flight time is maybe 45 minutes. But going to different timezones and having four hour flights is very different, and it takes time for the body to get used to it.

“But also the physical level. Most of the players in MLS are athletes, I was very surprised. Of course now I understand that with American football, with basketball, you have to be an athlete and most of the players played different sports growing up."

As is obligatory when discussing the growth of the league these days, Mukhtar was quick to point out the impact Lionel Messi has had since joining the league from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

“A big effect was obviously Messi. We had the luck in Nashville to play [Inter Miami] three or four times in his first season, and go all the way to the Leagues Cup Final against him. We had the win in our hands in the penalty shootout.

“It has been amazing to see all the interest, and I see that because I have a lot of European friends who constantly ask me ‘hey when is the next game?’.

“I had a lot of people ask me ‘why would you go to the U.S.? You are so young and have your whole career ahead of you.’ But now a lot of those voices, and I won’t name names have said ‘hey, do you think I can come play [in the U.S.]’."

Nashville find themselves in a moment of transition after moving on from long-time head coach Gary Smith last season, bringing in former USMNT assistant B.J. Callaghan to fill the role.

While the club have yet to truly get rolling under Callaghan, Mukhtar believes he will bring the changes necessary to kickstart a new era in the Music City.

“I think we also have to give credit to the front office, I think we made good additions this winter.

“B.J. wants to play more with the ball and I think that is the natural next step we can make as a club. I think you can already see in the games we’ve played that we try to have more of the ball, we try to attack and press the opponent higher.

“It takes time and we have to be fair and give the coach the time. He has great ideas, and we are all behind the ideas. The locker room loves it, they want to be more expansive, and more aggressive.

“At the end of the day it is a results-based business, but we are on the right track.”

Callaghan and Nashville are certainly on the up. The Boys in Gold have won three straight matches in MLS as they look to climb up the Eastern Conference table, and their superstar number 10 is the key to it all.