The Stunning Rise of American Soccer Star Christian Pulisic

Rising soccer star Christian Pulisic is widely considered to be something of an overnight success. His transition from the parks of Pennsylvania to the world of international soccer is an inspiring story.

Still in his early 20s, the speedy winger would become a household name out of the small town of Hersey. Given the affiliation with the local chocolate brand, The Hersey Company is one of the leading sponsors with the attacker and has an endorsement deal with him.

There was every chance Christian Pulisic was going to have a future in the sport given the heritage of his family. Mother Kelly Pulisic and father Mark Pulisic both played soccer for George Mason University. It would be his dad Mark who would go on to make a career from the game, representing Harrisburg Heat for a local professional indoor soccer competition during the 1990s.

Although Chelsea is considered to be the first time Christian Pulisic has represented a team in England, it is actually the second. When he was as young as 8, he would be living in the Oxfordshire village before playing for the local side Tackley. It would be the beginning of his love affair with the game, witnessing up close how a country passionate for the sport really approached soccer.

Christian Pulisic would take his career to the next level when he was signed by German soccer giants Borussia Dortmund as a 15-year old. Playing in the youth squad, he would amass 10 goals and 8 assists in his first 15 games at youth level. That would be enough to earn a call up to the first team to play alongside the likes of Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan. He impressed at the very top level, even providing an assist off the bench when Dortmund were behind 2-1 against UEFA Champions League powerhouse Real Madrid, establishing himself as a big player on the big stage.

This is where the 5ft7 playmaker would score 10 goals from 81 appearances for the German outfit, earning him a place in the US Soccer team for World Cup qualifiers. He would already score 14 goals in his first 34 games all before the age of 21 at international level.

The United States is fortunate to have Christian Pulisic representing the team at international level because Croatia could have been an option for the winger. At the Under 17 level, Croatia invited the player to join up with their squad for an upcoming tournament. This was due to his Croatian heritage with a grandparent from that region of Europe. Pulisic would knock back that offer and pursue his career representing the nation of his birth.

Christian Pulisic broke all American soccer records when he would transfer from Dortmund to Chelsea for a huge fee of £58 million or US $77 million. It would be more than three times the amount that German club Wolfsburg paid for American defender John Brooks in 2017. The lucrative move would allow the player to bank a net worth of $10 million with an annual salary at Stamford Bridge of approximately £7.5 million at the West London club.

Christian Pulisic now calls many of the soccer world’s superstars his teammates. These players include Timo Werner, Mason Mount, Antonio Rudiger, Matteo Kovacic, Jorginho, Olivier Giroud, Hakim Ziyech, N’Golo Kante, Ross Barkely, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kepa Arrizabalaga – the most expensive goalkeeper transfer in soccer history.

The American plays under Chelsea icon Frank Lampard. The Englishman’s resume would make him an attract coach. Lampard would win three Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, two Football League Cups, a UEFA Europa League and four FA Cup trophies.