Getting to know Bayern Munich newcomer Alphonso Davies

Alphonso Davies has taken the latest step in a meteoric rise that's been as unconventional as it is noteworthy.

It's been unconventional because Davies is Canadian, a country short on footballing talent with a national team that's qualified for just one World Cup and routinely loses to small Caribbean islands with nary the resources of their regional foe.

Now two years removed from becoming the second-youngest player to appear in a MLS match, the new face of Canadian football has signed with Bavarian behemoth Bayern Munich. For those unfamiliar with the teenage star-to-be, here's everything you need to know about Alphonso Davies.

The Lowdown

• Age: 17
• Position: Winger
• Nationality: Canadian
• International caps: 6

Background

Born in a Ghanaian refugee camp after his parents fled war-torn Liberia, Davies moved to Canada as a 5-year-old, first landing in Windsor, Ontario, before heading west to Edmonton, Alberta. In the latter city, Davies learned the ropes with the Edmonton Internationals and the Edmonton Strikers before putting pen to paper on a deal with the Vancouver Whitecaps' residency program in 2015.

From there, Davies' rise was breathtakingly rapid. As the youngest player to sign a USL contract, he made his first-team debut with the Whitecaps in a Canadian Championship clash against the Ottawa Fury. A professional deal followed, and soon after Davies became the second-youngest player in MLS history (behind Freddy Adu), the second youngest to start a match in North America's top flight, and the youngest to ever play for Canada.

With each composed performance, Davies began to attract interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, prompting a January trial invite from Manchester United that eventually hit a snag.

Playing style

Davies' potential as a player is due to a combination of dynamic skills, composure on the ball, and maturity. Comfortable running at defenders, he typically plies his trade on the left wing for Carl Robinson's charges, exhibiting an intoxicating blend of deft dribbling and heaps of pace.

This goal against D.C. United from earlier this month was a perfect example of Davies' varied skills, fearlessness in possession, and rocket of a left foot:

Recently named to the MLS All-Star side that's set to face Italian giant Juventus in Atlanta on Aug. 1, Davies has already made more than 80 appearances for the Whitecaps, impressing pundits and players alike.

"You can see he has speed, he has skills," former Bayern Munich star and current Chicago Fire midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said, as quoted by Sportsnet's Peter Galindo. "Offensively, transition wise. He's very good … He has potential with that speed, with that technique, with those skills. If he works hard, also for the defence, of course he can go on to play in Europe."

Davies' star potential was clear at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he won the Young Player Award and the Golden Boot as a 16-year-old. This season, he has a trio of goals and eight assists for Vancouver, the combined highest haul on the team, and his 5.51 completed dribbles is second in MLS behind Minnesota's Darwin Quintero. He's also been content to drop deep when attacking substitutions are made in Robinson's preferred 4-3-3 formation, registering 2.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per match.

Long-term outlook

Unable to enlist with Bayern until his 18th birthday in November, Davies will first see out the 2018 MLS campaign with Vancouver before making the Bundesliga switch.

But looking ahead, it's impossible not to be apprehensive about him signing with one of Europe's biggest sides. Former United States international Julian Green's failed move to the Bavarian capital was an illustration of what could go wrong for Davies, so measured expectations are probably best for the teenager's growth. Meanwhile, Bayern are no strangers to profiting from loans, but although it can be beneficial to monitor a player from afar as they earn opportunities that aren't available at the parent club, it can also be a risk for the player, as demonstrated by Portuguese youngster Renato Sanches' catastrophic loan from Bayern to Swansea City last season.

Set to become a minnow in a sprawling ocean that routinely eats its young, Davies will need to remain confident in his skills to survive. Few would know better than Besiktas midfielder and Davies' international brethren, Atiba Hutchinson, who previously praised the teenager's disposition as a sign of a promising future.

"This (confidence) is important to have in young players coming into the system. You have to have a bit of confidence and just believe that you can go out and play with anybody," Hutchinson offered last year following Davies' strong Gold Cup performance, per Rudi Schuller of Sporting News.

Time will tell if that confidence and a varied set of skills will be enough for Davies to succeed with one of football's biggest clubs.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)