May 16, 2020
Canada's Davies, Bayern Munich return to action Sunday
Canadian Alphonso Davies will help lead Bayern Munich back from the COVID-19 pandemic hiatus as the German Bundesliga returns to action this weekend. Munich, the seven-time defending champions and current league leaders, face Union Berlin on Sunday.
TSN.ca Staff
Canadian Alphonso Davies will help lead Bayern Munich back from the COVID-19 pandemic hiatus as the German Bundesliga returns to action this weekend.
Munich, the seven-time defending champions and current league leaders, face Union Berlin on Sunday.
After beginning the season as a sub in four of the first eight games for Bayern, Davies has found himself as a main member of the squad.
The Canadian teenager has made 24 consecutive starts in all competitions and credits the rise in his game to the people around him that have pushed him to be a better player.
“I have a good supporting staff around me, good teammates encouraging me every single day to perform in the field, to perform in training,” said Davies. “I set myself to [a] higher standard as well, knowing Bayern Munich is one of the best teams in the world.”
Performing your best on the biggest stage is one of the signs of greatness and Davies has already shown a flair for that as well.
In the first leg of Bayern Munich’s Round of 16 matchup against Premier League side Chelsea on February 25, Davies had his name chanted from the stands after an impressive game that included a highlight reel assist, helping lead his team to a 3-0 victory.
Davies was pleased with his effort in the win.
“For every kid it’s a dream come true,” said Davies. “I just wanted to go out there and do what I know how to do, play my game and I’m happy that it went so well.”
Things are going so well for the 19-year-old that Bayern rewarded him with a new five-year deal that will keep him with the Bundesliga side until 2025.
Davies’ agent Nick Househ told TSN’s Luke Wileman in April that the deal was actually signed the night after his client’s impressive performance in the Champions League game against Chelsea.
"I was flying back to Edmonton the next day and Hasan (Salihamidzic, Bayern Munich sporting director) messaged me and asked me if I could come to Munich, so I cancelled my flight from the UK and headed down to Munich for that day,” Househ told TSN.
“I told him listen, we need to agree on the numbers now and the terms, because I’m leaving and you won’t see me until March and they really wanted to get this done before March. I don’t know what the push was for, but there was a lot of clubs and a lot of talk, so maybe they were concerned. I went down to Munich, spent the evening with them, we were in talks until about 11:30 and believe it or not we actually signed the contract that night, the day after the Chelsea game in Munich."
Canadian national men’s soccer team head coach John Herdman joined TSN Radio 1040 Vancouver in April and said that the influence Davies has on young Canadian players will also be of great importance.
“I think there is a massive part of a role he’ll play off the field for Canada, not only in that he’s got people talking about our sport, but for these young players, to keep sending a clear message that a new bar has been set for the level that Canadians can play at and these young kids can start aspiring that they can get over that bar,” Herdman told TSN 1040.
“You see this is all walks of sports, if a bar is set people tend to start getting over it and over it. This is the first time in history that we’ve had player signed by a top-5 team in the world, but not just signed, plays every single week. If a kid is seeing that? That’s one of the biggest impacts Alphonso’s going to have on this sport legacy-wise, as much as what he’ll do on the pitch.”
Munich, the seven-time defending champions and current league leaders, face Union Berlin on Sunday.
After beginning the season as a sub in four of the first eight games for Bayern, Davies has found himself as a main member of the squad.
The Canadian teenager has made 24 consecutive starts in all competitions and credits the rise in his game to the people around him that have pushed him to be a better player.
“I have a good supporting staff around me, good teammates encouraging me every single day to perform in the field, to perform in training,” said Davies. “I set myself to [a] higher standard as well, knowing Bayern Munich is one of the best teams in the world.”
Performing your best on the biggest stage is one of the signs of greatness and Davies has already shown a flair for that as well.
In the first leg of Bayern Munich’s Round of 16 matchup against Premier League side Chelsea on February 25, Davies had his name chanted from the stands after an impressive game that included a highlight reel assist, helping lead his team to a 3-0 victory.
Davies was pleased with his effort in the win.
“For every kid it’s a dream come true,” said Davies. “I just wanted to go out there and do what I know how to do, play my game and I’m happy that it went so well.”
Things are going so well for the 19-year-old that Bayern rewarded him with a new five-year deal that will keep him with the Bundesliga side until 2025.
Davies’ agent Nick Househ told TSN’s Luke Wileman in April that the deal was actually signed the night after his client’s impressive performance in the Champions League game against Chelsea.
"I was flying back to Edmonton the next day and Hasan (Salihamidzic, Bayern Munich sporting director) messaged me and asked me if I could come to Munich, so I cancelled my flight from the UK and headed down to Munich for that day,” Househ told TSN.
“I told him listen, we need to agree on the numbers now and the terms, because I’m leaving and you won’t see me until March and they really wanted to get this done before March. I don’t know what the push was for, but there was a lot of clubs and a lot of talk, so maybe they were concerned. I went down to Munich, spent the evening with them, we were in talks until about 11:30 and believe it or not we actually signed the contract that night, the day after the Chelsea game in Munich."
Canadian national men’s soccer team head coach John Herdman joined TSN Radio 1040 Vancouver in April and said that the influence Davies has on young Canadian players will also be of great importance.
“I think there is a massive part of a role he’ll play off the field for Canada, not only in that he’s got people talking about our sport, but for these young players, to keep sending a clear message that a new bar has been set for the level that Canadians can play at and these young kids can start aspiring that they can get over that bar,” Herdman told TSN 1040.
“You see this is all walks of sports, if a bar is set people tend to start getting over it and over it. This is the first time in history that we’ve had player signed by a top-5 team in the world, but not just signed, plays every single week. If a kid is seeing that? That’s one of the biggest impacts Alphonso’s going to have on this sport legacy-wise, as much as what he’ll do on the pitch.”