The New Generation of American Talent Looking to Follow in Christian Pulisic's Bundesliga Footsteps

When Jadon Sancho swapped Manchester for Dortmund, few people batted an eyelid. Even as the winger got more and more game time under his belt, English attention was still firmly focused on what was going on closer to home, seldom looking beyond the confines of British football.

However, as Sancho blossomed into an unquestionable superstar, things began to change.

More and more of Britain's best and brightest now had a path to follow; a tried and tested formula to emulate. Suddenly, up-and-coming Premier League stars struggling for minutes chose a loan move to the Bundesliga, rather than the Championship, hoping to enjoy the same success as Sancho.

If Sancho is the English trailblazer in Germany, then Christian Pulisic carved a similar path for young American players.

Currently, upwards of 30 Americans are plying their trade in German football, with many already being tipped for stardom. But this emergence of American talent may not have been possible without the success of Pulisic.

He may have made his big-money move to Chelsea in January 2019 - although he didn't join up with the Blues until the following summer - but Pulisic was thriving at one of the world's biggest clubs long before he traded Germany for England.

Arriving at Dortmund in 2015 from America, the youngster slowly but surely climbed the ladder at BVB. Within a few months of consistently scoring goals and terrorising defences at youth team level, Pulisic was promoted to the first team at the beginning of the winter break.

In the blink of an eye, Pulisic had established himself as a frequent starter, showcasing his devastating speed, agility and technical ability on an all too regular basis. Staggeringly, the winger ended up with 19 goals and 26 assists at senior club level before his 21st birthday.

Such dramatic, quickfire success is rare, but far from impossible. As a result, Pulisic has inspired a generation of American stars in the making, many of whom are thriving in the Bundesliga at the moment.

Take for example Giovanni Reyna.

The 17-year-old is currently enjoying his breakthrough season with Dortmund in Pulisic-esque fashion, having already made 11 appearances for BVB. Announcing himself with a stupendous goal on his debut against Werder Bremen, the American became the youngest goalscorer in DFB-Pokal history and was in line for his first Bundesliga start against Schalke in the Revierderby - before injury struck in the warm-up.

Despite having made less than a dozen appearances for Dortmund's senior squad, Reyna has already proven he's capable of being a special talent worthy of following in Pulisic's footsteps.

And he's not alone in the Bundesliga either. Plenty of other American prodigies are gathering momentum in Germany.

Compatriot Weston McKennie - currently an integral part of Schalke's midfield - has been making waves in the Bundesliga, consistently impressing with his solid performances. The 21-year-old has provided a grit and determination to David Wagner's side, and is likely to be a sought after prospect in the upcoming transfer window.

Tyler Adams has been thriving under Julian Nagelsmann's tutelage this season for RB Leipzig, while 20-year-old Josh Sargent has even managed to grab a combined six goals and assists for relegation-threatened Werder Bremen.

There's also more experienced players going from strength to strength in the form of Wolfsburg's John Brooks, Frankfurt's Timothy Chandler and Fortuna Dusseldorf's Alfredo Morales.

All of this has led to the USMNT's stock rising, with America now boasting some of the most exciting and technically-gifted young players in world football - an unthinkable prospect even a decade ago.

Jurgen Klinsmann's five-year spell with the USMNT between 2011 and 2016 can't have done any harm, but ultimately the success stories that have emerged from German football have provided the foundations for future development. The likes of Pulisic - and even to a lesser extent Landon Donovan in the early 2000s - have set a much-needed precedent.

And this new trend shows no signs of stopping any time soon. While the coronavirus pandemic may have thrown a spanner in the works, the sensational 19-year-old Sergiño Dest looks set to join Bayern Munich sooner or later - having already pledged his international future to the USMNT.

This connection between American and German football looks only set to grow in the coming years, with the Bundesliga likely to become a home to even more rising stars from the United States in the future.

America's gain is also the Bundesliga's, as Germany's top flight becomes the ultimate breeding ground for talent from across the Atlantic Ocean.