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As a Christian, he’s a guy you’d say is a little shy at first, but once you get to know him better, he really opens up.
He’s a very thoughtful, caring person, but he always gives me a good laugh. We hit it off right away.
It was the same on the field. I immediately loved playing with him at Chelsea. We had a good rapport and our games were well received.
I played as a target man and I needed a bit of pace and movement around me – someone like him playing in the pocket between the lines and getting the ball up, finding me and eating away at me. Christian reminded me of Eden Hazard, the way he beat opponents and found it easy to get past people.
He had a lot of talent, he just needed a good environment around him – a good atmosphere in the team and also to be loved and appreciated so that he could play confidently and freely.
That was the difference between him and Eden – like Eden, playing football was just for fun and he didn’t ask too much of himself. He was so relaxed, sometimes, I felt that Christian was putting too much pressure on himself. He had a lot going on in his head.
That said, he has played within himself at times for Chelsea without revealing his talent, but when he joined me at Milan in 2023, it was different.
He grew up in Italy because he was older and had more experience. In the beginning it was good to play in the Premier League against strong teams and strong defenders, then you learn from being in Serie A and as a striker you face teams that focus on you tactically.
When we played Milan in front of Raffaele Leo, Christian and myself, we encouraged each other a lot, and that’s the cooperation that the United States needs.
Christian needs his teammates because he can’t do everything himself – if he gets the right players, he can bring them along because he has the experience and ability to carry the team.
Ending his goal drought against Senegal at the end of May was important as it gave him some confidence going into the World Cup as well. No one expects the USA to win this World Cup, but he will be key if they make it to the knockout stages.
I always thought America was lucky to have him, because he has talent and intelligence. Talent is not enough by itself and you cannot achieve amazing things if you do not focus on it. I wish him nothing but the best.
Olivier Giroud spoke to BBC sports journalist Chris Bevan.
