explained toCanadian Press.“Asanine
and ten-year-old he had to change the
nappies of a brother and sister because
his parents were working. Those are
true stories. It lights a different kind
of fire in a person. They are driven to
succeed and to make sure their family
are taken care of.
“When he was12,13 or14, you
could have a conversation with him
and not feel you were speaking to a
kid. He understood that actions have
consequences. He understood that in
order to be successful, he had to make
a commitment to certain things.”
The benefits of this early plunge into
adulthood were there for all to see on
his introduction to senior national team
football in the summer of 2017, shortly
after being granted Canadian citizenship.
Just16 when he won his first full cap
as a substitute in a friendly victory over
Curacao – thus becoming the youngest-
ever player to represent the country –he took all the media razzmatazz
in his stride. The youngster was all
business. “You just go out there, play
your game and don’t think about it
too much,” he said afterwards.
At the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the
following month, he pulled out all the
stops, operating with verve, guile and
power on either wing and scoring three
times. He would leave the tournament
with a clutch of goodies: the GoldenAlphonso Davies
“Ever since I was little, Canada has
been my home...I love it”Canucks star...
Davies fired
Canada to an
historic win over
USA last yearWinner...Davies poses with the Champions
League trophy after victory v PSG in August
MAR 17, 2019
Becomes the
first Canada
international to
score for Bayern,
rounding off a
6–0 thrashing
of Mainz.OCT 16, 2019
Scores the
opening goal as
Canada beat USA
2-0 – their first
victory over the
Stars and Stripes
in 34 years.OCT 26, 2019
On his first
Bundesliga start,
plays 90 minutes
at left-back in a
2-1 victory over
Union Berlin.AUG 23, 2020
Starts the
Champions League
final, becoming
the first Canada
international to win
the competition.SEP 24, 2020
Adds another
trophytohis
collection, coming
on as a substitute
in the UEFA Super
Cup win against
Sevilla.Boot, Best Young Player award, and a
spot in the Team of the Tournament.
Although eligible to play for both
Liberia and Ghana, he insists, he was
only ever interested in representing the
Maple Leaf. “Ever since I was little,Canada has been my home,” he
declared in a chat with magazine
Macleans. “I’ve lived here for a long
time. My parents love it, I love it. It’s
the country that took me in, that
made me the man I am today.”
Canada has every reason to revere
Phonzie, proof that the dispossessed
can find a place in the sun. In these
troubled times, he is a beacon of hope.