How a Johnny Cash connection brought a German star to Nashville
In short: When Nashville SC sought their first designated player, they found a striker who had never even visited the United States. Driven by a family connection to the legendary 'Man in Black,' Hany Mukhtar's journey from Berlin's academies to MLS stardom is a remarkable tale of unexpected destiny.
Born in Berlin to a Polish-German mother and Sudanese father, Hany Mukhtar’s ascent through the footballing ranks began in the Hertha BSC youth academy. Recruited at just seven years old, he quickly demonstrated leadership, captaining the club's U-17 squad to a championship in 2012. His professional breakthrough was famously serendipitous; he was called to the Hertha first team to replace Israeli international Ben Sahar, who was sidelined for Yom Kippur. This substitution against Dynamo Dresden made Mukhtar the second youngest professional debutant in the club's history.
His career subsequently became a whirlwind of European transfers. After a move to Portuguese giants Benfica in early 2015 for a fee believed to be €500,000, Mukhtar experienced a series of loans across the continent, including stints at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria and Brøndby IF in Denmark. In Denmark, his talent flourished; he earned the Superliga Player of the Season award in 2018 and helped Brøndby secure the Danish Cup.
The most pivotal chapter began in August 2019, when Nashville SC acquired the rights to sign him from Seattle Sounders FC for $100,000 in general allocation money. Although he had not visited America, Mukhtar agreed to the transfer due to his mother's admiration for Johnny Cash and his knowledge of the artist's link to Nashville. He has since become a cornerstone of the franchise, winning the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP award with 48.03% of the vote and setting records with a lightning-fast hat-trick against Chicago Fire FC, scoring in the 10th, 13th, and 16th minutes.
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