Bundesliga The U.S. midfielder from the German side speaks with MARCA.com

For fans of the United States national team, the 2016-17 season will live in memory for being the year that Christian Pulisic became the leader of the future of U.S. football.

But the Borussia Dortmund man is not alone. Just 33 kilometres from the Westfalenstadion, in the city of Gelsenkirchen, resides another young U.S. player who also has the football to succeed in Europe.

His name is Weston McKennie, an 18-year-old midfielder that already made his debut with the Schalke first team on the final day of last season.

Ahead of week one in the Bundesliga, McKennie, who plays as a traditional '8' on the pitch, spent a good while chatting with MARCA about his experience in Schalke, the upcoming season, and the hope of playing the World Cup in Russia.

"Everything is going good. I'm training hard for the season. I'm confident I can be a regular member of the first team," said McKennie, who added, "we have a new coach (Domenico Tedesco) who is not afraid to play young players, so I try to make the most of every chance that I get. I know that it is going to be a challenge, so challenge accepted."

It was last August when McKennie made the leap across to Europe from the U.S. Previously he was part of the youth system at Major League Soccer (MLS) club FC Dallas.

What he went through in that first year helped McKennie to feel more comfortable and prepared playing with the first team.

"My first year at Schalke has been a great learning experience. I was nervous when I first came, but my time with the Under-19 team helped me a lot. I had to learn certain things. German football is a smart football. It's more tactical, you play the ball a lot, you have to move quickly, you only have one or two seconds to make a decision. It's hard, but I'm at the right club for it," commented McKennie.

McKennie makes it very clear: Failure is not an option. He has to succeed no matter what.

"I don't have a plan B. There are some U.S. players who come here to Europe and if things don't go well, they can go home or go play in college. Here, for me, there I now plan B. This is my only chance. That is what I tell myself. This is my plan A and there's nothing else," affirmed McKennie.

Like any Bundesliga team, Schalke has a roster made of many nationalities. Two of the foreigners that share the locker room with McKennie are Spaniards Coke and Pablo Insua. McKennie says that the two veterans are always there to lend a hand to younger players.

"Koke has been very helpful. He's been through it all. He's still fast! He's full of wisdom. I go to him for advice. Pablo, I try to learn from him too."

In addition to the Schalke first team, the senior U.S. national team is one of McKennie objectives. Despite his young age, the midfielder is motivated to try to play in the 2018 World Cup, assuming that the U.S. make it to Russia.

"Personally, I think it's something I can achieve. If I show myself this season with Schalke, I think the World Cup is attainable. My goal is to make [national team coach] Bruce Arena have to decide," concluded McKennie.