Alphonso Davies emerging as the Christine Sinclair of Canadian men's soccer team
CBC
How good was Alphonso Davies on Wednesday night in Canada's 4-1 home win over Panama in a crucial World Cup qualifier?
So good that Canadian rapper Drake immediately reached out to Davies after the game.
"He just got a text from Drake. Drake wants to meet with the [team]. Hopefully tonight he gets a chance to take that off his bucket list. That's the type of performance [Davies] had," coach John Herdman told reporters after the match.
Everyone wants a piece of Davies these days, and for good reason. One of this country's greatest athletes, the 20-year-old Edmonton native, who also plays for Bayern Munich in Germany's league, led his team to a memorable victory. His man-of-the-match effort saw him score one goal and set up another, helping to keep alive Canada's dreams of World Cup qualification.
It also earned him accolades from his teammates and Herdman, who said Davies' skills and leadership reminded him of the greatest Canadian soccer player of all time — and he should know, he coached her, too.
"Phonzie's a big influencer in this group. He's a humble guy, but when he speaks it reminds us of (Christine) Sinclair," Herdman said, comparing Davies to the three-time Olympic medallist known for her quiet but confident leadership of the women's national team.
"When he speaks, people listen."