Premier League Rumors: Lampard Wants Pulisic To Raise Game, Issues Challenge

Chelsea FC manager Frank Lampard is confident that Christian Pulisic has what it takes to rank among the best. In the eyes of the 42-year-old coach, Pulisic just needs to have a yardstick to serve as a guide to see how far he can go. And based on the names he listed, the barometer is indeed set high.

Lampard has challenged Pulisic to set his sights as high as possible, using the likes of Mo Salah, Raheem Sterling and Sadio Mane as the yardstick to improve his game. The American winger started sluggishly following his transfer from Borussia Dortmund. But a lot has changed since then, with Pulisic showing signs that he can truly rank among the greats.

Lampard is aware that coming off an injury is a factor. In a previous report, Pulisic himself admitted that he is now being cautious after that forgettable injury that sidelined him for several months.

“I didn’t take it as seriously as I think I should have. It was one of those you felt you could do a lot of things but you try to push it that one extra step and realize it’s not ready yet," Pulisic said.

Pulisic is slowly getting back in the groove, and Lampard expects more from him. The 21-year-old played did not start against Aston Villa but made an immediate impact when his number was called. He got the chance to play in the second half and scored after five minutes. The Blues won that match 2-1.

The American football player then started against Manchester City and came out with an outstanding performance. He scored the lone goal for the Blues in the 36th minute -- the only score for the match. Hence, there is no question that Pulisic is slowly getting there but Lampard believes he has more to show, Sky Sports reported.

"I think he can be a really big player, because he broke through at such a young age in Germany and he made a big move, obviously expectations rise but you have to keep the age in consideration," Lampard said.

Lampard sees a lot of promise in Pulisic, believing he can make the big jump similar to what Sterling, Salah and Mane have accomplished. He has seen the American work hard to improve his game and believes setting his goal high will help him rise to fame.

"If he looks at players around him that have made that sort of a jump, he has the ability like Raheem Sterling to produce numbers from wide areas, like [Mo] Salah and [Sadio] Mane. He understands the work that needs to be done to do that. He definitely has the talent, he needs to get to that level," Lampard said.