The Blues were beaten 1-0 by current J.League champions Kawasaki Frontale at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, but Pulisic was quick to highlight the point that pre-season games are all about working up the fitness levels.

‘I’m delighted to be out here with the team and to play in an actual match for the first time as a Chelsea player feels really good,’ the American explained post-match.

‘We wanted to come out with the win but pre-season is all about getting minutes under the belt and I feel great for being out there.

‘It was a tough one out there with the humidity and they were a very good opponent, we saw that with their goal at the end but you want tough games like that in pre-season.

‘It’s all about working up the fitness and getting ready for the new Premier League season. We are all building up to being match fit and ready to play 90 minutes, and that’s what these games are for.’

The American cut short his summer in order to meet up with his new team-mates in Japan earlier this week and Christian has said that he’s enjoying life as a Blue so far and is excited to work under Lampard, a man he grew up watching from afar in the States.

‘The past few days have been good and I’m really looking forward to working with the coach and all the guys here,’ added Pulisic.

‘I’ve mainly been getting into the swing of things here with my new team-mates and it’s been a tough few days in terms of the work we are putting in, but I’m really enjoying it.

‘The lads have really made me fit in so far and I’m enjoying it.

‘It’s great working with the manager, I grew up watching him as a fan from afar and now to be coached by him is a great feeling.

‘It’s awesome to have him around and it’s great to have someone like him that we can really relate to, so it’s been really good so far.’

The Blues are next in action on Tuesday evening against Barcelona in Saitama, with the game available to watch live either via this website or our official mobile app.