The 19-year-old left-back burst onto the stage with a high-profile breakout campaign in 2019-20, seizing his opportunity during the club’s injury crisis.
The original boy
Alphonso Davies has helped bring a whole new audience to the Bundesliga, says Bayern Munich general manager Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – but he wants to keep the hype under control. The 19-year-old left-back burst onto the stage with a high-profile breakout campaign in 2019-20, seizing his opportunity during the club’s injury crisis. Davies has made 43 appearances in all competitions since Bayern won the treble and starred in Barcelona’s 8-2 demolition. Despite his youth, the Canada international has become the star of North American soccer, with around five million combined followers across social media. “The boy is very original,” Rummenigge told reporters. “I also looked at his resume, and I must say that he is exactly what you expect from a footballer of his age.
Davies shot up from 0 to 100
“He comes from a humble background, is explored as a big power by a top club, sees his chance, and takes it into his own hands. It’s good for all of us. People are, of course, excited about him. At the stadium, I always think that nobody can get away from him when he starts. Davies is a guy who shot up from 0 to 100. Meantime, many football supporters who are not interested in the Bundesliga know him. “His dribbling against Barca was seen all over the world. A lot of fans were like, what was it? Who is this guy? Let me put it this way: Our office in New York ly very grateful for Alphonso Davies.” With three goals and ten assists in his debut season, Davies is already being talked about as the best left-back in the world.
Alphonso is like an S-Bahn at full speed
Bayern Munich are in no doubt about the kind of talent they have, but Rummenigge wants to keep a child’s foot on the ground. “He advanced very well with his skills – especially his speed – and his great character,” he said. “But shouldn’t forget that he played a role for us until the fall. It wasn’t until a few center-backs were injured, and David Alaba moved into the middle that he got his chance. He was bought as a left-winger. But you saw relatively quickly that he is not a dribbler like a Franck Ribery or Arjen Robben. As a defender, he can best use his extraordinary speed. I think to myself: ‘He is like an S-Bahn at full speed when I see him.” He is also a good guy.”
“However, we can’t make the mistake of hyping him too much. Of course, he deserves to be talked about, but he’s only 19. As a club, we have to be responsible for this hype. Even as a 19-year-old, you can have stable, but don’t overdo it.”