Local Player Spotlight

April 16, 2021

With over 1000 professional players in the UEFA, less than 50 are from Canada or the United States. In this blog post, we’ll highlight seven players well representing these nations.

Alphonso Davies

Alphonso Boyle Davies is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a left-back or winger for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Canadian national team. He is considered a highly promising prospect in the media due to his explosive pace, dribbling, creativity, and crossing ability.

Davies is athletically outstanding, strong defensively, but also creates goal-scoring opportunities and even scores himself. Some say he embodies everything a manager is looking for when it comes to a modern full-back.

Birthplace: Buduburam, Ghana

Fun Fact: Davies readily admits to modeling his game after legend Lionel Messi. "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 says.

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Jonathan David

Jonathan Christian David is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Lille and the Canada national team. He cites his francophone public school as the reason for his success: "It helped to always have the ball at my feet when I was at Louis Riel."

Growing up, David recalls that he had no desire to play professionally in North America. Instead, he was entirely focused on playing professionally in Europe.

Birthplace: New York, United States

Fun Fact: David’s soccer idol is Dwayne De Rosario

Christian Pulisic

Christian Mate Pulisic is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the United States national team. Pulisic is known for his speed, fearlessness, and talent.

Pulisic joined Chelsea in 2019 on a five-and-a-half-year contract and became the third American player in the club’s history after his international team-mate, Matt Miazga, and Roy Wegerle. His confidence and knack for scoring earned Pulisic a spot in Chelsea’s regular starting lineup by the end of his first year.

Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States

Fun Fact: Pulisic’s father played professional indoor soccer as a striker for Harrisburg Heat in the 1990’s.

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Giovani Reyna

Giovanni Alejandro Reyna is an American professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the United States national team. Reyna is known for his confidence, patience, and drive.

Reyna seems to have been built for the game of soccer. His parents played, his friends play, and with equal parts technique, physique, and vision you’d think he was designed in a lab specifically for the sport.

Birthplace: Sutherland, England

Fun Fact: Rayna was named after his father’s close friend and teammate in the Rangers club, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst.

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Weston McKennie

Weston James Earl McKennie is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the United States national team. A versatile player, McKennie is capable of playing in a multitude of positions in midfield.

At the age of five, McKennie’s family relocated from the US to Germany – a twist of fate that would introduce him to the world of soccer and change his life forever. “I didn’t even know soccer was a sport,” McKennie recalls.

Birthplace: Texas, United States

Fun Fact: McKennie has known Christian Pulisic since he was 13, having both played for US youth teams.

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Sergiño Dest

Sergiño Gianni Dest is an American professional soccer player who plays as a full-back for Spanish club Barcelona and the United States national team. Dest combines many key qualities needed in a full back, including a strong attacking prowess, solid defensive play, as well as being excellent in possession.

Dest brings a wonderful, youthful exuberance to soccer, but anchoring him is his self-confidence and self-awareness, which allow him to take risks and learn from his mistakes. "All the faults in my career have made me who I am," Dest says.

Birthplace: Almere, Netherlands

Fun Fact: Dest made his first trip when he was 14 to visit family in New York.

Tyler Adams

Tyler Shaan Adams is an American professional soccer player who plays for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. A homegrown player of the New York Red Bulls academy, Adams turned professional with the New York Red Bulls II as a sixteen-year-old before joining the New York Red Bulls first team a season later.

Adams' mother recalls that he only ever wanted to play soccer. “Never did he say he wanted to do anything else. Maybe an architect, once or twice. As a parent, this is awesome. You just pray your kid ends up doing something they love.”

Birthplace: New York, United States

Fun Fact: When asked about who some of his immediate soccer mentors are, Adams is quick to point out current and former Red Bulls players Sacha Kljestan and Dax McCarty.

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