Alphonso Davies has received the great honour of being the first Canadian footballer to be voted CONCACAF Player of the Year. The 21-year-old left-back beat the likes of Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic and Juventus’ Weston McKennie to the award. The Canadian played a big role in his country’s first qualification for the World Cup since 1986. In an interview, Davies talks about the prize from his continental association, the upcoming World Cup and the Champions League with Bayern. Watch the video for the full interview or read below for the best excerpts:
Interview with Alphonso Davies
What does the award mean to you?
Alphonso Davies: “I’m happy that I’ve received this award, especially knowing that there’s some really good players in the CONCACAF. The award is not just to me, it’s to the team around me. I’m happy my teammates can be there for me on the pitch and credit goes to them.”
You’ve been out since the start of the year, now you’re back in training. How are you doing?
“When I got the news about my heart, it was devastating. It’s about my health. But here at Bayern, the medical staff is top. Not being able to be on the pitch with my teammates, with the national team, was annoying but I understand that health comes first. I had all the faith that the team could do it without me because we have quality in the team, as we’ve seen. I’ll be back soon and I’m excited for that.“
Canada recently qualified for the World Cup - how does that feel?
“We’re just happy we can make it. After 36 years of trying and trying, we finally got that milestone in our pocket. The whole country, the team, everybody is excited and we’re ready to go.”
Let’s talk about the Champions League: what do you think about upcoming opponents Villarreal?
“Villarreal is a good Spanish team. They have nothing to fear, they know they’re playing Bayern Munich. We know they’re a good team, so come the game we can’t take them for granted. We know every team in this tournament is at their peak, so it’s about who wants it more and who is willing to fight for it.”
All the info on how to follow the Champions League quarter-final first leg:
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