Chelsea and United States National Team star Christian Pulisic (pronounced “puh-lew-sick” in the U.S., “Pew-lah-sitch” in Great Britain) doesn’t like his nickname of Captain America. “I don’t like being called that, to be honest,” the 22-year-old said in a wide-ranging interview with GQ.
Pulisic covered a lot of ground in this interview, including his reveal that he doesn’t really feel that comfortable in front of cameras, and the process of having to prove himself over in Europe. Overall, he’s been a bright spot for the Blues, who are falling well short of preseason expectations right now.
Photo shoot could have really used a large scary animal or two. Putting him next to a cheetah or wolf would have definitely completed the look https://t.co/AfRasBTffs
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) January 19, 2021
Accompanying the interview is a short video listing ten things Pulisic can’t live without, and of course, a very eye-popping photo shoot. A lot of these photos are just RAR RAR RAR! If you’re somebody who is attracted to men, then chances are you going to get excited by this photo spread.
The Hershey, Pennsylvania native also tells of an important detail that helped him develop quicker. His European roots made him eligible for a Croatian passport, and with it the chance to move to Germany at age 16, where he played for Borussia Dortmund, instead of at age 18.
https://twitter.com/geoffgagnon/status/1351544649584963590
Usually that cut-off, when you’re technically “an adult” must be reached before playing abroad, per FIFA regulations.
An excerpt from the piece:
As Pulisic will tell you, that two-year difference meant everything. “Those ages are some of the most important years, because it’s right as you develop,” he says. Moreover, because many European players come up through youth academies and are already breaking through into the first team at 16, Americans arriving at 18 can find they’ve missed their shot. (Pulisic has advocated for the U.S. Soccer Federation to explore lowering the transfer age limit to 16.)
https://twitter.com/GQSports/status/1351535580153344001
“Just to put it into perspective, I made my full debut for Dortmund professionally when I was 17 years old,” he says. “Without that passport, I wouldn’t have been even able to start training with a professional team before I was 18. So who knows how I would have developed?”
Pulisic got off to a late atart this season, due to nagging hamstring injuries. He’s fully fit right now, but both he and the team are struggling right now.
Perhaps they will get that turned around quickly.
.@cpulisic_10 on getting out of his comfort zone https://t.co/Kh2MRmGuvM pic.twitter.com/O2tmBOh43i
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) January 19, 2021
I definitely suggest reading the entire GQ piece. Pulisic and Chelsea are next in action later tonight. They’ll take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night, kick-off is 8:15 local. Here is the Chelsea team news link and the Chelsea starting XI prediction link.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.