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Bayern Munich have completed the signing of 17-year-old Alphonso Davies from Vancouver Whitecaps for a reported fee in the region of $13m (£9.84m) - the record sum paid for a player in the history of the Major League Soccer since its inception. The teenage sensation from Canada has been sending shock waves across the continent for some time now and it is understood that the initial fee paid by the Bundesliga champions could rise up to $22m (£16.66m) subject to a number of clauses.
The flashy winger will be joining the Bavarians in January 2019, shortly after the end of the MLS season, and is expected to continue developing under Bayern's youth ranks before he can stake a claim for the upper echelons of European football.
"As a kid, I always dreamed of a moment like this," said Davies, who signed a five-year deal with the German club. "Now that the dream has come true, the work continues as always."
The signing came as a bit of a shock to the average football fan but further research points to the fact that the teenager from Canada is a special talent waiting to become The Great White North's brightest prospect as they prepare to co-host the World Cup in 2026.
On that note, let's take a closer look at five things you might not know about this high-profile export from the MLS:
#1 The foremost millennial
Alphonso Davies' journey to the top has been rapid and he has swiftly progressed through various ranks to make a name for himself at the biggest stage of them all. Following spells at local clubs Edmonton Internazionale and Edmonton Strikers, the 14-year-old made a move to Vancouver to join the Whitecaps Residency Programme's U-16 side to further enhance his development.
Davies quickly established himself in Vancouver and became the youngest player to appear in the United Soccer League before he made history by becoming the first player born in the 2000s to play in the MLS - at the age of 15 years, eight months and 15 days!
#2 Born as a refugee but adopted by football
Alphonso Davies was born in Buduburam, a refugee camp located 44km west of Accra in the Gomoa East District of Ghana, where his parents had fled to after fighting in the second Liberian Civil War. The family later moved to Windsor, Ontario in Canada as refugees with their 4-year-old son and later settled in the town of Edmonton where Davies initiated his football career.
However, Davies would have to wait until 2017 to attain citizenship from his adopted country despite already making a name for himself in the footballing circuit.
"It's a great honour to be able to call myself a Canadian citizen," Davies said in June 2017. "I'm also extremely thankful to my parents for everything they've done throughout the years, carrying the family to this safe environment. This is our home. This is where I grew up."
#3 Youngest and fastest to many feats
Alphonso Davies does not hold the record for being the youngest ever player in the MLS, that honour goes to Freddy Adu who came on as a 14-year-old for DC United back in 2004, but he became the youngest debutant to wear the Canada national football team colours. The winger took the big leap to international football at the tender age of 16 when he made an appearance for his nation against Curacao.
Davies' big dream became a reality just a week after he took his oath to become a fully recognized citizen of the country, helping him to yet another record despite only having the experience attained from a single top-flight season.
#4 Midas touch at the Gold Cup
The personal milestones came soon after Alphonso Davies was named in the Canada national team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the summer of 2017. A lot of expectations rested on the teenager's shoulders and he took the golden opportunity to etch his name in history with a memorable outing for his side.
Not only did Davies become Canada's youngest ever goal-scorer, his brace against French Guiana meant that he became the youngest ever player to score at the Gold Cup and the first player born in the 21st century to score at a major international tournament.
Furthermore, Davies went on to claim a second successive Canada U-17 Male Player of the Year award.
#5 A diploma in trying to imitate Lionel Messi
Alphonso Davies is a tricky left-footed winger equipped with a low center of gravity and plenty of neat tricks up his sleeve. The characteristics are strikingly similar to that of Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, and one of the very few exceptions are probably his long legs and towering figure.
The teenager has admitted that he formulated his playing style based on Messi himself and continues to remain a fan of the Argentine.
"I've been trying to copy his style of play, but the thing is that he's a little bit shorter than me and my legs are long, so I have longer strides," he told AFTN. "I usually just keep the ball and use the pace that God gave me to get past players."
