'Who brought their little brother?' How America's diminutive soccer prodigy Christian Pulisic went from beating bigger kids in England at age 7 to become the most expensive U.S. player ever when Chelsea paid his $73M transfer fee

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As American exports go, soccer players have not been a popular choice – particularly not in England.

The number of active English Premiere League players born in the United States sat at just three before Wednesday, when Hershey, Pennsylvania native and 20-year-old soccer sensation Christian Pulisic was sold by Germany's Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea for the remarkable transfer fee of $73 million.

Not only is that the highest transfer fee ever paid for an American player, but it also sets up the attacking midfielder for his own massive payday in London when his current contract expires after the season. Until then, Pulisic will remain in Germany on loan to Dortmund, where he has played since joining the team's youth academy when he was just 16.

It was in Western Germany that Pulisic went from a relative unknown to his country's greatest hope for soccer success as he netted 10 goals in 81 appearances, mostly as a teenager.  

And his ascent could not have come at a better time for the struggling U.S. Men's National Team.

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Christian Pulisic's rights were purchased by Chelsea from Dortmund for $73 million 

Christian Pulisic (left) comes from a tight-knit soccer family that includes (from left to right) mother Kelley, sister Devyn, brother Chase, and father Mark, a former indoor soccer player 

The U.S. – playing with Pulisic – missed out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia after losing to lowly-regarded Trinidad & Tobago during the qualifier. Following the loss, pictures of Pulisic covering his face in shame circulated throughout newspapers both in and out of the United States.

But even while the United States failed to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1986, Pulisic has served as rare source of optimism for the beleaguered national team largely because he's produced so much at such a young age.

Within a year of signing with Dortmund, the 5foot8 Pulisic became the youngest foreign-born player to score in the prestigious German Bundesliga, and the youngest player of any nationality to register two goals in a league game. Then in May of 2016, Pulisic became the youngest U.S. player to score in an international game when he easily found the back of the net in an exhibition against Bolivia in Kansas City.

Remarkably, Pulisic's historic goal came a day after he attended his high school prom in Pennsylvania.

'It was one of the best nights of my life,' Pulisic, who finished high school in Germany, told Sports Illustrated. 'It was so much fun, and the next day I got to go out and play with my national team and scored my first goal.'

Christian isn't the only Pulisic in Dortmund. His cousin Will (right) plays goalie for the club 

Christian Pulisic (far left) really learned the game in England when his mother, a teacher, was on a Fulbright scholarship. Soon a seven-year-old Pulisic was playing and beating older, English players with more traditional soccer backgrounds

It's not that Pulisic is the first U.S. soccer prospect to garner international attention.

As a 13-year old in 2003, supposed-soccer prodigy Freddy Adu was given a $1 million endorsement deal by Nike before being disappointing both domestically and abroad.

Before that, Landon Donovan succeeded in the MLS, but only after struggling to play for Germany's Bayer Leverkusen.

What makes Pulisic so unique isn't just that he's enjoyed success as a teenager, but that he did it in Europe, where soccer reigns as the most popular sport.

And the fact that he's an American succeeding in Europe is crucial for apparel companies, who hope to grow the game domestically.

'He's one of the great young talents in the world,' former U.S. defender Alexi Lalas wrote on Twitter. 'He just happens to be American...which makes him even more valuable. All brands want to continue to mine the fertile U.S. market, having Pulisic doesn't hurt.'

Only 5foot8, Christian Pulisic (standing next to sister Devyn, left, and mother Kelley, right) has overcome his short stature to grow into one of soccer's biggest prospects 

In 2014, Christian Pulisic won a title with the United States Under-17 team 

Actually, Pulisic isn't just American. He has Croatian citizenship too thanks his paternal grandfather, who hails from an island on the northern Dalmatian coast. (Pulisic applied for Croatian citizenship after moving to Germany so he would not have to apply for a German visa)

The diminutive speedster comes from a tight-knit soccer family that includes father Mark and mother Kelley, both of whom played collegiately at George Mason University. Mark Pulisic went on to play briefly with the Harrisburg Heat of the National Professional Soccer League before retiring in 1999 - a year after Christian's birth.

Pulisic's cousin Will is now a goaltender with Dortmund, and his siblings – brother Chase and sister Devyn – are regulars at U.S. Men's National Team games and on Pulisic's Twitter account.

He's similar to other American 20-year olds in that he watches the NFL and NBA with his friends and family, but unlike his peers, Pulisic's social media use is guarded and revolves around his professional life and not his social life.

Christian Pulisic (right) poses with brother Chase in their U.S. Men's National Team T-shirts

Pulisic (center) improved his game during a soccer residency with the U.S. Under-17 team 

One might assume that Mark, a longtime coach who even served at Dortmund's youth academy, pushed Christian into soccer.

However, as he told Philly.com, that was not the case.

'We almost pushed him in directions other than soccer,' Mark said. 'He wasn't forced in any manner. I wanted to make sure he was making the decision. Things don't work if you're forcing training on kids.'

Pulisic really learned the game in England when his mother, a teacher, was on a Fulbright scholarship. Soon a seven-year-old Pulisic was playing and beating older, English players with more traditional soccer backgrounds.

Christian Pulisic (left) and cousin Will (right) both played for Borussia Dortmund as teens

As his mother Kelley told CBS' 60 Minutes, most of the other parents assumed Pulisic, usually the shortest player on the field, was somehow out of place.   

'I'd hear people going, "Who brought their little brother? Oh they probably didn't have enough players."

'And then the game would go on and he'd get the ball and do something and I'd just kinda giggle.'   

It was that time period, Pulisic told the Daily Mail in 2016, that helped build his love for soccer.  

'It really brought on my passion for the game,' he told the Daily Mail in 2016. '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,' he continued. 'There were so many players that just showed so much skill and confidence in their games. I just loved the English style.'

As Mark remembers, Pulisic completely immersed himself in English soccer as a child outside of Oxford.

'Every day after school they would play pickup, on a basketball court where they had soccer goals under the basket,' Mark told Philly.com. 'He would just play for hours and hours and hours. It wasn't structured, just pickup. He used to have a blast. That's all they played there. I think that was a big, big reason why he caught the bug as well.'

Later the family moved to Detroit, where Mark worked for a Major Indoor Soccer League team before they moved back to Pennsylvania.

It was there that Pulisic's star first began to rise as a member of a youth traveling team.

Fortunately for Pulisic, U.S. soccer legend Tab Ramos saw him playing at a tournament and recommended him to national team coaches, who helped him to secure a residency with the U.S. Under-17 team in Florida where he ultimately played for several high-profile scouts.

Once seen as America's greatest hope on the soccer field, Landon Donovan succeeded in the MLS, but only after struggling to play for Germany's Bayer Leverkusen

'Arsenal and Manchester City had interest in him, there were other clubs as well,' Steve Klein, Pulisic's former youth league coach, told Philly.com. 'I don't know for sure if contracts were offered.'

In the end it didn't matter because Dortmund invited Pulisic to play for their under-17 squad, and soon thereafter gave him a call up to the Bundesliga, where he became a professional as a 16-year old.

As a 13-year old in 2003, supposed-soccer prodigy Freddy Adu was given a $1 million endorsement deal by Nike before being disappointing both domestically and abroad

'I kind of knew it was the right place for me,' Pulisic told SI, 'and it's been the best decision.'

Although the last four years represent 20 percent of his young life, things have moved rather quickly for Pulisic, who has emerged as one of the game's most promising talents since Argentina's Lionel Messi – his favorite player.

Like the 5foot7 Messi, Pulisic is at a height disadvantage, but the two share a lot in common. Both were invited to Barcelona's elite La Masia youth academy as children, and both scored nine goals for their club team before the age of 20, with Pulisic adding another seven international scores to Messi's two.

Nobody is rushing to declare Pulisic the next Messi, who has won a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards as the world's best player.

But given his impressive resume, most of which was compiled as a teenager, it's not hard to see why a top European team like Chelsea was willing to pay a record price for Pulisic.

'At just 20, we believe he has the potential to become an important Chelsea player for many years to come,' said Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia, who called Pulisic 'one of Europe's most sought-after young players.'

Pulisic celebrates his goal during the Nike International Friendlies at The Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch on November 28, 2014 in Sarasota, Florida