Ricardo Pepi says the decision to reject bigger clubs in order to join Augsburg was one of the best decisions he has ever made.
The 19-year-old made the €18 million (£15m/$20m) switch to the Bundesliga side from FC Dallas in January, despite attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
The United States international has had a difficult start to life in Germany, with his team sitting 15th in the table and in danger of being relegated.
What has been said?
But the striker insists he made the right call in joining Augsburg as he explained how the move came about.
"We got on call with Augsburg, they told us our plan for and that they wanted to develop me as a player, they thought Augsburg was the next step for me in my career," he said on the 433 podcast.
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"I talked to my circle and they told me: 'It's a very risky decision because you're at a good moment with FC Dallas and you're comfortable here.
“I've always told them that I don’t like being comfortable, I like being pushed to the limit. I know it will take a long time to adapt to the moment, adapt to the club and I’m going to do that as fast as I can, but those are decisions that are life-changing decisions.
"You come here and do good at the club and you start getting noticed by a lot of people and a lot of teams.
"It was a big decision, and I feel like at the moment it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made."
How has Pepi performed?
The Texas native caught the attention of top teams after making history as the youngest player to score a hat-trick in MLS before going on to score in his USMNT debut.
Since being snapped up by Augsburg, Pepi is yet to net his first goal for the side.
He has made six appearances in the Bundesliga, starting three and was an unused substitute in their last two matches.