Alphonso Davies

Alphonso Davies
Personal information
Full name Alphonso Boyle Davies[1]
Date of birth (2000-11-02) November 2, 2000
Place of birth Buduburam, Ghana
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Winger
Club information
Current team
 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Number 67
Youth career
Edmonton Internationals
Edmonton Strikers
2015–2017 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Whitecaps FC 2 11 (2)
2016– Vancouver Whitecaps FC 63 (6)
National team‡
2016– Canada U17 2 (1)
2016– Canada U20 1 (0)
2017– Canada 7 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 6, 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of September 9, 2018

Alphonso Boyle Davies (born November 2, 2000) is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays as a winger for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer and Canada men's national soccer team. He is the first player born in the 2000s to play in an MLS match. Davies will join Bundesliga club Bayern Munich in January 2019, on a contract until 2023.[2]

In June 2017, he became the youngest player to appear for the Canadian men's national team.[3] By scoring two goals in a 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup match against French Guiana, he became the youngest player to score for the Canadian men's national team, the youngest to score at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and first player born in the 2000s to score at a top level international tournament.[4]

Early life

Davies was born in Buduburam, a refugee camp in the Gomoa East District of Ghana, to Liberian parents.[5][6] His parents lived there after fleeing their homeland during the Second Liberian Civil War, which displaced more than 450,000 people in Liberia.[7] When Davies was five, his family came to Canada as refugees, and moved to Windsor, Ontario,[3] before moving a year later to Edmonton.[3][6] On June 6, 2017, he officially received Canadian citizenship.[8]

Club career

Youth career

After playing for Edmonton Internationals, and Edmonton Strikers, Davies joined the Whitecaps FC Residency in 2015.[9]

Whitecaps FC 2

After joining Vancouver Whitecaps FC during their 2016 MLS preseason tour,[10] Davies signed with Whitecaps FC 2 in the USL on February 23, 2016.[11] At the time of his signing, he became the youngest player signed to a USL contract at 15 years, 3 months. Davies made his professional debut for Whitecaps FC 2 at the age of 15 years, 5 months in April 2016.[12] On May 15, 2016, he scored his first professional goal, making him the youngest goal scorer in USL history at 15 years, 6 months.[13] He scored two goals in 11 games played during the 2016 season.[14]

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Davies was named to the Whitecaps roster for the 2016 Canadian Championship on a short term contract.[15] On June 1, 2016, he made his first team debut in the first leg of the Canadian Championship against the Ottawa Fury and started the second leg in Vancouver.[16]

On July 15, 2016, Davies signed a first team contract with the Whitecaps through 2018, with options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. At the time of his signing, he was the youngest active player in Major League Soccer, and the third youngest player to have signed an MLS contract.[17] Davies made his MLS debut on July 16, 2016, becoming the second youngest player to play in MLS, behind Freddy Adu.[18] In September 2016, he scored his first goal for the first team in the 2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League against Sporting Kansas City in injury time to send the club through to the knockout round.[19] In September 2016, Davies became the second youngest starter in MLS history when he started a game against the Colorado Rapids.[20] On October, 2, 2016 he started against rival club Seattle Sounders FC earning a penalty kick.[21] During the 2016 season, Davies played in eight MLS games,[22] four Canadian Championship games,[22] and three games in the CONCACAF Champions League.[23]

Following his impressive early MLS appearances, Davies attracted interest and was scouted by European clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool,[24] and was also named one of the 60 best young soccer talents in the world in 2017.[25] In the 2018 season opener against the Montreal Impact, Davies scored his first goal in MLS action, and assisted on a Kei Kamara goal.[26] On 10 June 2018, he scored a goal and got three assists in a 5–2 win over Orlando City.[27] Davies scored two goals and provided two assists to help his side defeat Minnesota United with a 4–2 victory on 29 July.[28]

On June 29, 2018, Davies was included in the MLS All-Star roster for the 2018 MLS All-Star Game on August 1 against Juventus.[29] Davies made an appearance during the match, which finished as a 3–5 penalty shoot-out loss following a 1–1 draw.[30]

Bayern Munich

On July 25, 2018, Vancouver announced that it had agreed a multi-million dollar transfer of Davies to Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, with Davies seeing out the 2018 MLS season with Vancouver, before joining Bayern in January 2019.[31] The base fee for the transfer is $13.5 million USD, with performance-related bonuses that total $22 million USD, a record for MLS.[32]

International career

Youth teams

Although a Liberian citizen by birth, Davies was called to numerous Canadian U-15 and U-18 camps in 2014 and 2015.[1] On March 17, 2016, he was called up to the Canada U20 squad for a friendly against England U20.[33][34] In November 2016, Davies attended a Canadian U-17 camp, where he scored against Jamaica.[35] In 2016, he was named the Canada U17 Male Player of the Year for his performances with the U-17 and U-20 squads in friendlies.[36] In March 2017, Davies stated in an interview that, "to be able to represent Canada, it is one of my dreams."[37] In 2017, he was named the Canada U17 Male Player of the Year for a second time due to his performances with the senior team.[38]

Senior team

On June 6, 2017, Davies passed his citizenship test and officially became a citizen of Canada, making him eligible to play for the Canada national team.[8] On the same day, Davies was added to a senior team camp for a friendly against Curaçao,[39] as well as Canada's preliminary 40-man roster for the 2017 Gold Cup.[40] Davies would debut for the senior team in the friendly against Curaçao at the age of 16, making him the youngest player to play for the national team.[41] On June 27, Davies was named to the final 23-man squad for the 2017 Gold Cup.[42] In Canada's first match of that tournament, Davies scored twice in a 4–2 victory over French Guiana. The goals make him the youngest goalscorer in Gold Cup history.[43][44] He then scored in their second match against Costa Rica to earn a 1–1 draw.[45] Davies went on to win the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer, the Young Player of the Tournament award, and was included in the tournament's Best XI selection.[46]

Career statistics

Club

As of October 6, 2018[14][22]
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Whitecaps FC 2 2016 USL 112—00112
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2016 MLS 80403[lower-alpha 2]1—151
2017 260224[lower-alpha 2]11[lower-alpha 3]0333
2018 29620—00316
Total6368272107910
Career total7488272109012

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes Canadian Championship
  2. 1 2 Appearances in CONCACAF Champions League
  3. ↑ Appearance in MLS Cup Playoffs

International

As of September 9, 2018[47]
Canada
YearAppsGoals
201763
201810
Total73

International goals

As of July 11, 2017[47]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1 July 7, 2017 Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States  French Guiana 3–0 4–2 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2 4–2
3 July 11, 2017 BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States  Costa Rica 1–0 1–1

Honours

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "Alphonso Davies". Canada Soccer. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ "FC Bayern verpflichtet Alphonso Davies bis 2023" [Bayern commits Alphonso Davies until 2023]. FC Bayern Munich (in German). July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Buhler, Andy. "Canadian soccer phenom Alphonso Davies' talent belies his youth". The Star. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  4. ↑ Schuller, Rudi. "Davies becomes first 2000s-born player to score at a top level international tournament". Goal.com. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  5. ↑ Asano, Naoko. "Whitecaps phenom Davies receives Canadian citizenship, 1st senior call-up". Sportsnet. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Penfold, Chuck (July 26, 2018). "Bayern Munich: Who is new signing Alphonso Davies?". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Civil War and the Refugee Crisis in Liberia". Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Alphonso Davies receives Canadian citizenship and first senior call-up to Canada". Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Whitecaps FC Profile: Alphonso Davies". Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  10. ↑ Weber, Marc. "Caps give youth a chance in 15-year-old Alphonso Davies". Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Whitecaps FC sign teenagers Matthew Baldisimo and Alphonso Davies to WFC2". Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Whitecaps FC 2 on Twitter". Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  13. ↑ "USL on Twitter". Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Alphonso Davies profile". Soccerway.
  15. ↑ "Whitecaps FC submit 20-man roster in advance of Wednesday's Amway Canadian Championship semifinal".
  16. ↑ "Vancouver Whitecaps on Twitter". Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Whitecaps FC add 15-year-old Residency product Alphonso Davies to MLS roster". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. July 15, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Youngster Alphonso Davies impresses in MLS debut for Whitecaps". Sportsnet. July 16, 2016.
  19. ↑ "SCCL quarterfinal berth: CLINCHED!!!". Vancouver Whitecaps FC Official Twitter. September 13, 2016.
  20. ↑ Stephen, Colin (September 24, 2016). "Whitecaps' Alphonso Davies, 15, is second-youngest starter in MLS history". MLS Official Website.
  21. ↑ Boehm, Charles. "Vancouver Whitecaps 1, Seattle Sounders 2". Major League Soccer. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  22. 1 2 3 "Alphonso Davies » Club matches". World Football. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Alphonso Davies » CONCACAF Champions League 2016/2017". World Football. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  24. ↑ Dyer, Kristian. "Source: Alphonso Davies being trailed by three English Premier League giants". Metro.us. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Next Generation 2017: 60 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  26. ↑ Boehm, Charles (March 4, 2018). "Recap: Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Montreal Impact". MLS.
  27. ↑ Dyck, Darryl (June 10, 2018). "Alphonso Davies has goal, three assists to lead Whitecaps past Orlando City". Globe and Mail.
  28. ↑ "Bayern Munich-bound Alphonso Davies destroys Loons as Whitecaps win". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  29. 1 2 "2018 MLS All-Star Roster". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  30. ↑ Roberson, Doug (August 1, 2018). "Martinez scores but MLS All-Stars fall to Juventus in front of record crowd". AJC.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Whitecaps FC agree to MLS record-breaking transfer of Homegrown midfielder Alphonso Davies to Germany's most storied club FC Bayern Munich". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  32. ↑ Lindberg, Austin (July 25, 2018). "Bayern Munich sign Canadian teen Alphonso Davies in MLS-record deal". ESPN. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Canada Soccer selects players for England youth friendly". Canada Soccer. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Alphonso Davies joins Canada's U-20 soccer team". Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Alphonso Davies scores for Canada's under-17 squad in friendly win over Jamaica". Vancouver Province. Canadian Press. November 26, 2016. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  36. 1 2 "Davies and Rose win 2016 Canadian U-17 Players of the Year". Canada Soccer. December 13, 2016.
  37. ↑ "'His talent was evident': Alphonso Davies is dropping jaws, one at a time". Vancouver Province. March 30, 2017.
  38. 1 2 "Davies & Huitema named Canadian U-17 Players of the Year for Canada Soccer". Canada Soccer. December 11, 2017.
  39. ↑ @@CanadaSoccerEN (June 6, 2017). "Alphonso Davies on his remarkable journey" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  40. ↑ "Canada Soccer releases 40-man Provisional List for CONCACAF Gold Cup". Canada Soccer. June 6, 2017.
  41. ↑ @@CanadaSoccerEN (June 13, 2017). "At just 16yo, Alphonso Davies is the youngest player in #CANMNT history" (Tweet). Retrieved July 7, 2017 – via Twitter.
  42. ↑ Zeitlin, Dave (June 27, 2017). "Canada names nine MLS players to 23-man CONCACAF Gold Cup roster".
  43. ↑ "Teen Alphonso Davies scores 2 in Canada's Gold Cup win". CBC.ca. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Canada walks away with win and lessons learned in Gold Cup opener". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  45. ↑ "Canada stays atop Group A with impressive 1:1 draw with Costa Rica at CONCACAF Gold Cup". www.canadasoccer.com.
  46. ↑ Schuller, Rudi. "Canada's Alphonso Davies wins trio of Gold Cup awards". Sporting News. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  47. 1 2 "NFT profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  48. ↑ "Canada's Davies merits Young Player Award presented by Scotiabank". www.goldcup.org. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  49. 1 2 "Alphonso Davies wins Young Player, Golden Boot and Best XI at Gold Cup 2017". canadasoccer.com. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
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