This year has been a breakthrough one for Christian Pulisic. After moving up to the Borussia Dortmund first team squad and making his debut in January, the 18-year-old American winger has been setting all kinds of records.

In April, he became the youngest foreigner to score in the Bundesliga at just 17. In May, he became the youngest scorer for the US national team. In September, he became the youngest player to score twice in a Bundesliga game before also becoming Dortmund's youngest ever player in the Champions League.

Yet Pulisic, who spent most of his childhood back home in the US, places a great emphasis on a year he spent in England back when he was seven.

Christian Pulisic (right) challenges Schalke's Nabil Bentaleb for the ball on Saturday afternoon

Pulisic scored his first international goal in the USA's victory against Bolivia back in May

As the American international told Sportsmail in the tunnel at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park: 'It's a big reason where I am today.

'A lot of people don't realise but it really brought on my passion for the game. After school every day, I was just out for hours in the park, playing with my schoolmates.

'That's really where my love for the game started to come alive and that was a big part of my development.'

Back in 2005, his club was Brackley Town in Northamptonshire. Right now, you'll find the club's first team playing in front of around 400 people most weeks in the sixth tier of English football.

Pulisic didn't go to watch any particular team every week but he confirms that he did take in some Premier League games with his dad, Mark, as he grew to like 'the intensity of the game'.

'There were so many players that just showed so much skill and confidence in their games. I just loved the English style,' he says.

Pulisic celebrates with Mario Gotze after the German's goal against Legia Warsaw

The 18-year-old winger remains focused on the ball while under pressure from Sead Kolasinac

CHRISTIAN PULISIC FACTFILE Born: September 18, 1998 Place of birth: Hershey, Pennsylvania Position: Winger, attacking midfielder Borussia Dortmund appearances: 22 Goals: 4 USA caps: 9 Goals: 3 Advertisement

It was through this experience on and off the pitch that Pulisic realised, even at the age of seven, that football might just be for him.

'I thought [before] it was just for fun,' says Pulisic.

'I just started to love it so much and I said: "Wow. I'm pretty good! I think I can do something with this game".'

Saturday was a good measure of what he has done so far. In front of 80,000 fans, the Dortmund winger was the youngest player on the pitch for the Revierderby against Schalke – or 'the mother of all derbies' as Jurgen Klopp once put it.

Pulisic started but, as he admitted himself, it wasn't his best display. Five minutes in, Schalke left back Sead Kolasinac put in a reducer on the young American, leaving him writhing on the floor clutching his left ankle. In the first half at least, that strong tackle seemed to do the trick with Pulisic unusually timid, not reaching the high standards that he's set in the past 11 months.

Normally, you'll see him have no fear in running at his opponents, skipping past them with ease, before choosing the right option. The weekend before for instance saw him come off the bench at half-time and change the game. Dortmund were 2-0 down at lowly Ingolstadt but Pulisic came up with an assist and an injury-time equaliser to ensure Thomas Tuchel's side came away with a 3-3 draw.

Pulisic celebrates a goal against Darmstadt (left) and is congratulated after scoring for the US

Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel (right) arrives for a training session on Tuesday afternoon

It wasn't surprising then to see Tuchel include Pulisic against Schalke in the starting line-up, for what was still only the 11th time.

As Sportsmail talked to Pulisic, Tuchel walked past, making sure to slap his young starlet on the back. He's certainly a fan of the youngest member of his squad.

'It's a joy to have him here with his cheeky smile and his modesty,' said Tuchel earlier this year. 'He seems shy but he takes everything in his stride.'

A greater testament to Tuchel's faith in Pulisic is that on Saturday, he kept him on after a difficult first 45 minutes. He ended up playing the whole game in fact. No wonder then that Pulisic has already acclaimed his coach this season as being 'unbelievable' for him.

As it happened, the game against Schalke finished goalless but Pulisic improved after the break. He would have even won it, were it not for an outstanding block on the line by Kolasinac - one of the few full backs to get the better of the American in his 22 Dortmund appearances so far.

Pulisic enjoyed watching Wayne Rooney and Manchester United as a seven-year-old

Don't be surprised, however, if Pulisic plays again on Wednesday when Dortmund take on Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.

Not even his childhood hero is playing in that competition this season. Pulisic became a Manchester United fan during his time in England.

As he says that, Pulisic smirks, adding that back then: 'Wayne Rooney was my guy.'

It says something for how far Pulisic has come that he is in better form than Rooney at present.

You could say that since Rooney himself broke through, English football hasn't exactly produced an abundance of great young talents.