The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

5 things to know about new Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies

2020-08-07T10:01:50.264Z


At 19, the Canadian has exploded this season in the Munich jersey. Discovery of a great future before the round of 16 second leg of the Champions League on Saturday between Bayern and Chelsea (9 p.m., RMC Sport).


Born in a refugee camp

Some are born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Others don't. Davies was born on November 2, 2000 in a Buduburam refugee camp, about 40 kilometers west of Ghana's capital, Accra. His parents, originally from Liberia, had decided to flee the second civil war which then shook the country of the future president George Weah (elected on December 26, 2017). To fail in a slum which Victoria, the mother of the Bayern player, keeps a special memory. “We had neither clothes nor food. We had to step over the corpses, ”she once confided. For five years, young Davies had to grow up in these trying conditions. Prior to issuance, when his family obtained permission to emigrate to Canada, near Edmonton, in 2005.

A "historic" transfer for the MLS 

On July 26, 2018, Bayern Munich formalized the signing, for five years, of the young Canadian, then aged 17. “As a child, I always dreamed of a moment like this,” he then reacted. "Now that the dream has come true, the work continues as always." "It's a historic transfer for our club, our country and our league," he let go of Jeff Mallett, the co-owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps who had welcomed him when he was 14 years old. Historical by its amount of 28.7 million dollars (just over 24 million euros), bonus included. What then was the biggest transfer of a Major League Soccer (MLS) player to Europe. An amount exceeded since by the Paraguayan Miguel Almiron, who joined Newcastle for 35 million dollars. But without disrespecting the Magpie, it would seem that Davies is better off to make football history….  

Making the Maple Leaf shine internationally

Davies officially became a Canadian citizen on June 6, 2017. “It's one of the best countries in the world. I am very proud to be part of this country. I am also extremely grateful to my parents for all they have done over the years, transporting the family to this safe environment. It's our house. This is where I grew up. And now to have the opportunity to represent the men's national team is a great honor. ” An honor that returned to him very quickly since in the wake, while he has not yet celebrated his 17 years, he experienced his first selection against Curaçao. Canada could take pride of place at the 2026 World Cup - of which he is co-organizer - with Davies, who will then be 26 years old and will be in the prime of his life, but also striker Jonathan David (20 years old today ), who shines with the Ghent (23 goals and 10 assists last season) and could join Lille or a Bundesliga club during the summer transfer window. Davies and David could thus form a duo of "DD" gunslingers to wear the colors of the nation with the maple leaf. 

Already several precocity records

If he will celebrate his 20th birthday next November, Davies has wasted no time in securing a few records. Or approach some. Thus, by scoring a double for Canada against French Guiana in the Gold Cup on July 8, 2017, he became the youngest scorer in his country, at not even 17 years old (16 years, 8 months and 6 days to be precise). Likewise, he is the second youngest player to take part in an MLS game behind Freddy Adu, and the second youngest goalscorer in Bayern Munich history after Roque Santa Cruz. This earned him the praise of Hasan Salihamidzic, the sports director of the Bavarian club: “He is one of the best players of his generation, we expect a lot from him. It proves that the work pays and it will be part of the long term with us. ” But also those, more rare, of a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic who predicted him "a bright future. If Bayern have chosen him, it means that he is strong because this club is rarely wrong, especially when it comes to young players ”. Davies hasn't proven them wrong so far.       

A successful conversion

A winger by training, Davies was able to seize his chance at Bayern Munich as… left side. To the point of becoming almost unavoidable. A change of position that was not obvious, especially as the Bavarian club could rely on this position on David Alaba, considered by many specialists as the best left-back in the world for a few seasons, and Lucas Hernandez, who won this position as holder of the France team, world champion 2018 and bought 80 million euros. In other words two clients. But that didn't bother the one who is nicknamed “Phonzie”, but also “Bip-Bip” or “Usain” for his impressive speed. After a first season of discovery in Munich, during which he only played 74 short minutes in the Bundesliga, Davies exploded during the financial year just ended, with 24 starts, for 3 goals and 5 assists . And a player of the month title for May with Bayern. In the Champions League, he impressed in the round of 16 first leg against Chelsea (0-3) by completely closing his left flank, while delivering an assist. A match, and a personal performance, which should remain forever in his memory as a real starting point.

Read also

  • Champions League fixtures and results

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2020-08-07

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.