Former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann believes that U.S. international Christian Pulisic has the potential to reach the highest of ambitions in football. And he thinks Jurgen Klinsmann deserves some of the credit for the 18-year-old's meteoric rise.
"Right now, [Pulisic] is very good," Lehmann told ESPN FC. "He makes difficult things look easy, so he's a joy to watch.
"He plays without any pressure, he just enjoys himself out on the pitch. If you play at such a young age at such a high level, you can really make it to the top of the top."
Speaking to ESPN FC about the Bundesliga's growing popularity in the U.S. and globally, and promoting the league's GOALMANIA campaign, the former Schalke, Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart No. 1 noted the rise of U.S. internationals in Germany's top flight.
"They became quite reliable for their teams," Lehmann said of U.S. players. "They adjusted to the way of German football, to the mentality ... and it's a fantastic way they've went so far."
Part of the Americans' recent rise in the Bundesliga should be attributed to Klinsmann's influence on the player pool, according to goalkeeper.
Klinsmann helmed the U.S. national team from 2011 to 2016, and encouraged his charges to test themselves at the highest level. Since, Pulisic has risen to stardom with Dortmund, with several other American youths set to emerge from a similar path in the Bundesliga, such as Schalke's Weston McKennie and Wolfsburg's McKinze Gaines.
"It's probably down to the influence of Jurgen Klinsmann as well," Lehmann said, "who had most of them in his national team and passed something on to all of these players in terms of mentality and passion.
"The Americans produce players like Pulisic and [McKennie] now ... and all of a sudden, they've become a big competitor on the world stage."