Buduburam, Ghana. A sprawling refugee camp of 50,000 people painted a glum picture for the thousands of Liberians who had travelled to the camp to escape the threat of the Second Liberian Civil War. Food and water is hard to come by, death is in the air, and soldiers at the camp prevent refugees from straying too far from the site over fears that bandits could easily attack those who wander from Buduburam. But for one family, freedom is granted. Through a resettlement programme and a successful interview process, Victoria and Debeah Davies were able to immigrate to Edmonton, Canada with their five-year-old son, Alphonso. Thirteen years later, Alphonso Davies would become the best player for a new nation he calls home, an inspiration to refugees across the globe, and a superstar who will be going into 2019 as a player for one of the biggest clubs in world football.

From Ghana to Canada

Davies had a unique childhood compared to many other players in his age group, but you could say that it makes his rise to the top even more incredible and unique. After all, it’s not every day you see a player leave MLS for a fee of £16m. Growing up in the Canadian city of Edmonton, Davies was introduced to a community that had good football coaches and players due to the area’s reputation for producing talent in the sport, and from an early age, it was clear he had something special about him. After impressing for local teams, Davies was invited to join the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency program at the age of 14-years-old in Burnaby, British Colombia, over 700 miles away from his new home in Edmonton. Despite some hesitation from his family, the decision was finally made that Alphonso could move to the academy, and it didn’t take long for the teenager to make a name for himself inside his new club.