Cole Campbell was 18 years old when he made his Bundesliga debut for Borussia Dortmund. But a subsequent loan move to Hoffenheim did not work out and he had to wait almost two years for his first start in the competition. It was worth that wait.

Now at Elversberg, the Texas-born forward marked his full Bundesliga debut with a goal in a 3-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen. He has since started in the 4-3 win at Borussia Monchengladbach. Only an offside flag denied him an equaliser against Bayern Munich.

“I went to celebrate and then when I turned around I was confused because I did not see any of my team-mates. It was an amazing feeling even though it did not count.” Amazing is a word that he returns to often in explaining his emotions this past month.

And why not? Elversberg, this tiny German club playing in the top division for the first time, could not have been where he envisages his career kickstarting aged 20. But four games into the season and this young group of players are the talk of the Bundesliga.

“The expectation was actually quite the opposite of what we have already shown,” says Campbell. “We are just giving everything that we have and trying to play the best football that we can.” And that means playing without fear, taking the game to teams like Bayern.

“It is obviously a different level when you are playing against some of the best players in the world.” But the key to it is “not to worry about who is standing there” and that has been evident in Elversberg’s approach, epitomised by their enterprising forward play.

“Bravery for me as an offensive player is to not be afraid of going one against one and trying something instead of being scared and not trying it because of their reputation. Something we will continue to do is be brave, give 100 per cent and see what happens.”

Speaking to Campbell, he sounds at home already. Asked who his friends are at the club and he name-checks most of the squad. “We are a very close team. I cannot say one guy.” Elversberg even reminds him of Iceland, where he spent part of his childhood.

“There are definitely similarities,” he says. “That small-town feel is similar to when I was in Iceland so I really like it here.” He enjoys visiting the coffee shops and has a fondness for schnitzel. “But I cannot eat it so often because it is not the most healthy thing.”

He has embraced life in Germany, learned the language too. “Before that, it was a bit difficult.” Maybe his multi-cultural background helps. His mother is Rakel Karvelsson, the former Iceland international. “I can also train with her, which is fun,” he reveals.

She still challenges him to the odd two-touch game. “She does not win anymore. When I was 14 or 15, I started to beat her.” Campbell will not be following in her footsteps with Iceland though. He has declared for the United States instead. “That is set in stone.” He was rewarded with a senior debut in the win over Canada this week.

What is not set in stone is how his career progresses and if it feels like an overstatement to suggest that Campbell was at a crossroads this summer, considering how difficult these past two years have been. It has been a waiting game for him after that initial breakthrough.

“I was expecting to play more,” he concedes of his time at Hoffenheim. Five months yielded only five substitute appearances for the club. “Maybe someone else will look at it and say it was a waste for me.” But Campbell himself refuses to see it that way.

“My mindset then was a lot different than it is now. The things that I have learned in these 22 months I would not have learned if things had happened differently.” It was character building, then? “Without this then my character would not have changed.”

Campbell adds: “Trusting in the plan that God has for you is something that you always have to do. God has a plan. I believe that it also strengthened my relationship with him and strengthened my mental toughness. I have become a better player.”

These references to his religious beliefs are frequent throughout this 40-minute audience with a group of journalists from around the world. Asked about comparisons with Christian Pulisic, he says: “Comparison is the thief of joy. That is in The Bible.”

On the subject of his Christianity, Campbell is at his most eloquent and it becomes clear that the process of rationalising this period in which his career plateaued was made manageable as a result of his faith. “It is very important to me,” he explains.

“It is easy to get caught up in football and the things that surround it but in football there are so many ups and downs. It is a bumpy road, you are going to have lows. It’s the same with life. To have God to hold onto in those times is something that kept me going.

“I can be the best footballer and achieve everything but in the end it means nothing if I do not have God by my side so my faith is everything for me. I want to tell people what I believe in and impact people in a positive way. For me, it is the most important thing.”

Regardless, Campbell still needs to succeed as a player to have this platform. And so, particularly after the Hoffenheim experience, this move to Elversberg had to work. “I needed to get minutes for my career and to play a bigger role than what I had at Dortmund.”

He adds: “The move for me was very important. And I think now, I am getting minutes, which is the most important for me to develop and to become the best player that I can be. This step in my career was the right one. And I am happy that I came here.”

He is their record signing. “There is pressure that comes with it. But on the other hand, there is also a lot of trust from them to believe in me. And I would say that the pressure that I put on myself to perform was already there before the money was involved.”

Campbell talks warmly of the atmosphere surrounding the football club and on a practical level can certainly be encouraged by how Nick Woltemade, Younes Ebnoutalib and Fisnik Asllani have all come to Elversberg and progressed their careers as a result.

Saturday 10th October 5:20pm


Kick off 5:30pm

“When you have other players that have gone there, they have gotten their minutes and they have developed and made a big step for themselves, that obviously it helps,” he acknowledges. “It had an influence on me coming here. It was the right step.”

Conversations with the club’s hierarchy convinced him. “They explained their plan and what the club is about.” And head coach Vincent Wagner is already proving a positive influence. “My defensive work is something that has improved a lot. He is helping me.”

The challenge now, with Elversberg’s support, is to become “the best version” of himself. “I do not think there is any right path. Every player is different.” But this path is working for Cole Campbell, a United States international now and seizing his Bundesliga chance.