Bayern Munich, Canada star Alphonso Davies: How he has evolved and what the future holds

Alphonso Davies won his fourth Bundesliga title on Saturday -- his 11th piece of silverware at Bayern Munich since he joined the club in January 2019, a remarkable accomplishment by any measure. From arriving as an inexperienced but hugely promising left winger from Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps, he has developed into one of the world's best defenders and a key player in Bayern Munich's active dynasty of success.

Davies' speed is frightening, but he's far more than just a rapid wing-back. He has developed his all-court game to the extent he was recognised by FIFA in 2020 when he made their World XI. But this season has been tougher. He was adjusting to life under new coach Julian Nagelsmann -- having previously thrived under Hansi Flick -- and was starting every week, but then came the unexpected news that would force him to take some time away from the game.

After testing positive for COVID-19 during the winter break, the illness left him with inflamed heart muscles, a condition called myocarditis. Nagelsmann revealed the news in early January; the only cure was for Davies to stop playing. From someone who's used to operating at eye-wateringly high speeds, he needed to keep his heart rate low. He had to slow down; by his own admission, Davies told ESPN he became a "couch potato," watching his Canada teammates qualify for their first men's World Cup in 36 years, and seeing Bayern Munich close in on their 10th straight Bundesliga title.

But on April 6, Davies returned to the pitch and when Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in Saturday's Der Klassiker to confirm their title, Davies was playing left-back, flying up and down the wing like it was 2020 all over again.

- O'Hanlon: So, who's qualifying for next season's Champions League? (E+)
- ESPN+ viewers guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more

Davies sat down with ESPN last week to look at his life as a football star, a phenomenon on Twitch and his responsibilities as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ambassador, something that means a huge amount to him as he grew up a refugee in Ghana before emigrating to Canada at age five.

This is the definitive look at Davies' present and future and how he has tailored his game to excel under Nagelsmann, while also being Canada's focal point under John Herdman. The man himself says "it doesn't matter wherever the coach plays me, I just try to do the best I can." With the 2022 World Cup later this year and Bayern targeting further success next term, it's frightening to think, but Davies, at 21 years old, is just getting started. -- Hamilton

How it started; how it's going

Davies' parents fled Liberia during the country's second Civil War, traveling to Ghana where Davies was born at a refugee camp in Buduburam. Davies has used his fame to help UNHCR as a goodwill ambassador. He has been keeping a close eye on recent events in Ukraine: "It's been tough to see. I don't know first-hand what they're going through, but my parents do," Davies tells ESPN. "They were [in the middle of a war] for so long and had to leave. It's a traumatizing situation."

When his family arrived in Canada in 2005, settling in Edmonton, Davies found himself on the soccer field, learning his craft at the Edmonton Strikers, to MLS and the Whitecaps before earning his move to the Bundesliga in July 2018. The move went through in January 2019, and he was used sparingly in that first season, playing mostly on the left wing. The next term he flitted between left wing and left wing-back, but when Niko Kovac was fired in November 2019, Flick transformed Davies into the first-choice full-back.

Davies won an incredible six trophies with Bayern in 2020 but after a remarkable breakout year, the 2020-21 season saw Davies battle ankle injuries, while this term was disrupted by his heart problems. It has been a formative experience.

"Injuries and poor performances are part of the game, but you can't give up, you just have to keep fighting," he says. "I know I have the quality to do it again, and I'm trying my best. This injury I've had [with the heart], it's another step back, but I keep believing and keep on going."

The heart scare stopped him in his tracks. He remembers recovering from COVID-19, doing a couple of training sessions, and then getting a call from the doctor. He was playing FIFA at the time. "The doctor said, 'There's something going on with your heart, you need to call me for further examination,'" Davies says. They told him he had to stop playing for a while. Weeks flew by, and his frustration grew.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access

"I couldn't do anything, I couldn't even work out," he adds. "I was a couch potato sitting at home, playing [video] games every single day, finding ways to entertain myself. For an active guy, yeah, it was scary news."

The disruption meant that for the final pair of key qualifiers for Canada, Davies was watching as his teammates booked their spot at Qatar 2022. He streamed the entire experience on Twitch, where he's already a well-loved FIFA player with 314,000 subscribers. His TikTok following is now at six million -- with 90.5 million likes -- as he brings fans into daily life with his girlfriend and professional footballer, Olympic gold medalist with Canada, and Paris Saint-Germain forward Jordyn Huitema.

But the experience of watching his Canada teammates was different. As they lost 1-0 to Costa Rica, he did his best to keep a straight face as passes went askew or moves broke down, knowing his reactions would be interpreted one way or another. After that defeat, they needed to beat Jamaica to qualify. Davies watched on from Munich, attempting to keep a poker face.

"Watching the game as a fan you see the outside noise, and it was nerve-wracking watching as a fan," Davies says. "We knew Jamaica are a strong team, and this was a must-win one. I sent the boys a little good luck text, sat down and watched. They put in a brilliant performance."

When the final whistle blew after an impressive 4-0 win, Davies broke down into tears. "I'm going to the World Cup. We're going to the World Cup, man! I cannot believe it," he said at the time. "I'm tearing up. My dream has come true."

How Davies plays for Bayern

As a 17-year old for the Whitecaps, Davies combined eight goals with 11 assists from what was primarily a wide midfield role in 2018. It was quickly evident that his dribbling skills were nearly as advanced as his otherworldly speed, and Bayern swooped in that summer.

Even for those watching his man-against-boys routine in MLS, it was shocking how quickly he worked his way up to the top in Europe. When Flick took the Bayern job from the struggling Kovac midway through the 2019-20 campaign, he moved veteran David Alaba to primarily a centre-back role and, recognizing that Davies was fast enough to play two positions at once, basically asked the 19-year old to play the left-midfield and left-back roles simultaneously.

"My speed is one of my biggest assets," Davies said. "I try to use it as much as possible. As a defender, especially when your opponent is going toward your goal, your first instinct is, you have to stop him at all costs. That's what I try to do."

Opposing right wingers constantly thought they were building solid counterattacks, only to watch Davies intercept the ball out of nowhere. In attack, he sacrificed individual production in the name of creating ultimate width and pressure on the outside, yet he also produced eight assists (6th on the team) and 316 ball recoveries (2nd) as Bayern swept through every competition.