Bayern Munich, Alphonso Davies has earned praises from Hasan Slihamidzic, sporting Director of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich
The 19-year-old Canadian teenager moved to Germany as a left-winger, having taken Major League Soccer by storm with eight goals in 31 appearances in his final season with Vancouver Whitecaps, signed as a winger but has quickly developed into an outstanding full-back.
He held down that spot under Niko Kovac and then under successor Hansi Flick, who believes that Davies can perform just as well as Alaba in the position.
According to the sporting Director, the potential of Alphonso is great and the left-back is solid because of his performance. He is now the first-team and preferred choice for that position.
"I’ve always been confident Davies can fulfill the role of left-back," Flick said during the winter break. "He’s our get-out-of-jail-free card with his pace and strength to recover his position, and he’s a great passer of the ball.
"If his development goes on like this, he certainly has the potential to advance to the top of his position internationally.
"He showed that it can be worth throwing the boys into the cold water and giving them the opportunity to swim freely.
"He previously played in the second team and indicated to me his great potential. He was always motivated and tried to get involved."
Davies' impact at left-back has been closely monitored by Alaba, who has become his mentor at the club and expanded on Hoeness' swimming metaphor when describing how the teenager has dived in head-first into senior football.
"He's a boy who wants to develop, who listens and can be guided in training sessions. He's a player who is very brave, and he improvises well. You need that at the top level these days and he really does it very well."
These are sentiments echoed by Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, who saw Davies as one of the best players in the world at any position for his age group.
"We signed Alphonso Davies a year ago because we saw him as one of the best players of his generation, and fans have been waiting for a young player like him with such raw pace, technique and a physical presence. He can become a really important player for Bayern.
"Davies possesses qualities that you rarely see in the Bundesliga - he’s certainly one of the fastest players I’ve ever seen, maybe even the quickest.
"He can play anywhere the coach wants him to. He's not only one for the future, but one for the here and now - he's a real diamond."
"If his development goes on like this, he certainly has the potential to advance to the top of his position internationally.," Salihamidzic told AZ ."
Liberal- Born - Canada International played 29 games for Bayern Munich and scored 2 goals.
🎙 Hansi #Flick on #Coman & #Hernández: "We're happy that things have gone so quickly with them both and that they are doing well in training. We don't know yet if they'll manage 90 minutes. The aim is to have everyone at 100% in time for the #UCL."#KOEFCB pic.twitter.com/v2XXEHpG7R
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🔥 @AlphonsoDavies and Joshua #Kimmich are back in training 💪#MiaSanMia #FCBayern #KOEFCB pic.twitter.com/i5bJXTzwSM
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 13, 2020