Profile of Alphonso Davies: the 15-year-old starlet that shines in the MLS
Alphonso Davies is one of the promises who has been promoted to senior level for the last part of the campaign. Born in Liberia in 2000, his family fled the country during the country’s second civil war which killed thousands of people.
Alphonso and his family managed to arrive in Canada starting from Ghana and they are now settled in North America. Alphonso is a very tall guy for his age, with the heart of a bull and the bravery of a lion.
He started his playing career with Edmonton Strikers, less than two years ago scoring almost one goal in each game. His teammates used to call him ‘Oz’ and his mum only allows him to go to trainings if he gets good marks at school.
“He has to speak better English and I want him to get to university not using his feet, but using his head.”
Alphonso goes to school in the morning, trains with the team in the afternoon and studies at home in the evening and during the night.
One year ago he joined the Whitecaps scoring his first goal as a pro and getting a U-20 Canada national team call-up (his dad managed to get a visa for him and the rest of his family). While his dad provides the food on the table for him and his family working as a carpenter, Alphonso shines on the pitch.
He has already score on goal in North America’s Champions League and his marks at school are even better than what his mum would imagine.
His coach Carl Robinson always protects him from the pressure of media saying that who wants to talk with Alphonso has to talk to him first.
This promising footballer has only attended one press conference in his career saying: ‘I am grateful to Canada for the chances they gave me and my family. I have no shame in saying that we were starving back home and we’ve found a home and a future here. Football is hobby and becoming a pro would be a dream.”
His best friend Gloire Amanda, 18, is also one of his teammates with the Whitecaps and scouts of both Manchester United and Liverpool are being scouting them to see if they have enough potential to make it in a Premier League team.
