PULISIC OVER HIS FIRST-DAY NERVES Star admits joining Blues was like school again
CHRISTIAN PULISIC reckons his move from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea last summer was a lot like changing schools.
The American needed time to settle as he got to grips with his new surroundings. He needed to earn the respect of his new teacher and classmates while settling into a culture that was alien to him.
A year on, though, and not only does he no longer feel like the new kid, but, with the performances he’s putting in, he is pushing to be Frank Lampard’s head boy.
The 21-year-old, who cost £54million, said: “That was my first big move and I really didn’t know what to expect. I went in with an open mind.
“But, obviously, there are nerves and it’s just proving you can play a little bit.
“The guys are great guys. The first couple of days when you’re the new guy, not everyone is going to be your best friend right away and that’s OK.
“But I really felt like once I could start to show myself on the field and show I could play, that was when the guys were like, ‘This kid’s good, he can hang with us and we’ll treat him with more respect’. That’s crazy to say, but it’s true of a lot of professional environments, that’s how it goes.
“It’s like anything, when you move to a new school when you are little and you make that first friend, you finally feel that little bit better and more comfortable, it’s like anything in life.”
The approval of his team-mates gave Pulisic the belief he needed and at times he has looked like the man Chelsea have needed to fill the void left by Eden Hazard (left).
Pulisic’s form since the restart has been right up there, with three goals and three assists in seven games, putting Chelsea on the brink of a Champions League finish.
Speaking to US radio station SiriusXM FC, Pulisic added: “Confidence is just a huge thing for me, having confidence from your coach, your team-mates, everyone around you, it does help and I’m definitely feeling that right now.
“That’s why I’ve seen a little success recently.”
The only slight disappointment is that Chelsea fans haven’t been in the grounds to see his form first-hand and that will continue at Wembley today.
Pulisic said: “It’s been interesting without the fans.
“It feels a little weird when you score a big goal and you start running towards the corner flag and it’s like, ‘Where am I going, what am I doing?’
“I just knee-slide and there’s no one there, but that’s OK.”
On Tuesday, Pulisic set up Olivier Giroud for the match-winning goal in the 1-0 win against Norwich.
And while much has been made of the fact the pair were caught on camera deep in discussion just three or four minutes earlier, he laughed off the idea they were plotting the move. Pulisic said: “We weren’t discussing exactly that moment of me crossing the ball to his head, as a lot of fans might hope.
“Maybe we were just discussing our runs and how we move off each other, but it was fun to see that work out.
“We do have a good connection.”