It says plenty about Christian Pulisic’s elevated standing in United States football that one of his primary aims of this international break is to provide support for the “young guys” in the US team.

“All I can do is give my best, be a part of this team and be there for the young guys,” he says. “Be there for them, help this team to grow and help these guys out.”

It is a noble statement, made by a player who knows he is one of the team’s leaders on the pitch. But the truth is that Pulisic is no seasoned professional gazing down on a bunch of kids coming through the ranks. It clearly does not feel like it these days, but Pulisic is still one of these “young guys” he speaks about. He only turned 20 in September.

Such is life for the man heralded by so many as the saviour of the US national team. It must be hard for him to look to the future when he is currently seen as the most important player in the present. Across the pond, there are even those who believe that Pulisic is already the finest player the US has produced.