Christian Pulisic has been a bright spot in a frustrating Milan season | Nicky Bandini

The USMNT star has been a key figure for the Italian giants, earning the trust of coach Stefano Pioli on and off the field

Christian Pulisic is still half a decade too young to serve in the US Senate, but no such age restrictions apply to the Italian sporting lexicon. As Milan prepared to face Newcastle in a do-or-die Champions League group game last month, the Gazzetta dello Sport named him together with Olivier Giroud as the two players who teammates would look to for leadership. Milan must trust in experience," wrote journalist Marco Passotto, it must trust its senators."

Aged 25, Pulisic is 12 years Giroud's junior. Yet he had already made 53 Champions League appearances - only 13 fewer than the Frenchman, and 18 more than any Newcastle player.