Paul Stalteri admits he had his doubts about Alphonso Davies' move to Bayern
When Alphonso Davies joined Bayern München last year, former Canadian international Paul Stalteri feared it would be too big a step for the youngster.
Former Werder Bremen and Canada international Paul Stalteri is pleased to have seen his compatriot Alphonso Davies make his mark at Bayern München.
When Davies joined the German champions from Vancouver Whitecaps in January 2019, Stalteri admits he had his doubts as to whether the youngster would get the necessary playing time at Allianz Arena.
But, much to Stalteri's delight, the 19-year-old went to take the Bundesliga by storm, establishing himself as the club's preferred left-back.
"I have known 'Phonzy' since he was 14 years old. At that time, I had something to do with him as coach for Canada's youth national team. From the first impressions, I knew that the boy would play in Europe one day. And I told him earlier that the best decision would be to go to Germany," Stalteri said in an interview with Sport Bild and continued:
"I'm very relieved that things are going so well for him at Bayern. When he moved from Vancouver to Munich in January last year, I was delighted. But I also had my doubts. My fear was that Alphonso wouldn't get enough playing time at Bayern and that the club would still be a bit too big for him.
"But I was sure of one thing: Germany is the best country for Alphonso's career. Especially for top talent from Canada, German football is exactly the right thing. It fits perfectly, because we Canadians have a similar mentality to the Germans: Hard work, diligence and discipline are important factors. And they are crucial for the human development of young players," said the former Werder Bremen and Borussia Mönchengladbach player, who is now working as an assistant coach for Canadian side York9 FC.
Davies recently signed a contract extension with Bayern München, committing himself to the club until 2025.