Aspiring players often leave everything behind, venturing into foreign lands at a very young age, to pursue their dreams. Often uncertain about their future, it comes down to a lot of factors but being resilient is one of the more important ones. One such example is Christian Pulisic, who embarked on such a journey, leaving the sunny USA for cold rainy Deutschland. 

After joining Borussia Dortmund, ‘Captain America’ quickly climbed through Dortmund’s youth teams, earning a spot on the senior team at just 17 years of age. Since then, he has enjoyed a remarkable career, with the special highlight being the Champions League winner’s medal, the pinnacle of success in European club football. 

“It was a scary thing to do, especially as an American leaving the country and my family. I kind of knew around that age that I really wanted to go over to Europe, I wanted to test myself against the best, I wanted to play in Europe at the highest level. It was just about finding the right time. I had been scouted by some teams in Europe. Then I had the opportunity to go and play over in the academy at Dortmund.” said Pulisic in an interview with UEFA. 

The AC Milan winger also goes on to mention how getting that opportunity to play at such a young age was vital for him. “I would just give thanks to the whole club [for] the way that they treated me, and they really wanted to give me that opportunity and give me a chance to play with the professionals… Even if I was still physically maybe not there, they knew that I had the ability and that I would get there, so they gave me the opportunities and I always wanted it.” said the USMNT skipper, who recently became the fastest American player to reach 50 goal contributions. 

Pulisic hopes to serve as an inspiration for young players back in the United States. The 26-year-old reflects on how he looked up to a few Americans who didn’t reach the highest levels, an issue still haunting Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT side. With standout performances for both club and country so far, the ‘Lebron James of Soccer’ has attracted the attention of not just fans! 

Pulisic’s Premier League return?

As per Calciomercato, Liverpool, Manchester United, and West Ham have both shown interest in the American. Once worth $73 million which made him the most expensive North American player of all time, Pulisic made the move to AC Milan in 2023 for around $22 million. Given his current form, his price tag is likely to increase. 

With there being no progress in Salah’s contract at Liverpool, the American would fill up the right-wing spot under Arne Slot perfectly. With new boss Reuben Amorim looking to revamp the squad, he could be a great fit among the United forwards. Former USMNT player, Landon Donovan advised the skipper to take a step back.

Considering his previous stint at Stamford Bridge, the numbers didn’t exactly match his price tag. After scoring only 26 goals and 16 assists in 145 appearances, many deemed the American not good enough for the Premier League. Perhaps, this is the chance for Pulisic to prove the haters wrong, considering he already has 11 goal contributions this season. Until next summer window, the Rossoneri will be counting on the services of Captain America.