Canadian soccer star Alphonso Davies hosts soccer camp in Edmonton, inspires young players

Eight-year-old Emerson Doyle was thrilled to show his moves to Canadian soccer star Alphonso Davies on Tuesday.

"I did a step-over. I showed him a step," Emerson said, holding his blue soccer ball in his left arm. "And Alphonso said, 'That's cool."'

Emerson was among 44 kids, aged eight to 12, who joined the Canadian player at Victoria Soccer Club in west Edmonton — the first of many soccer camps said to be Davies's legacy project to inspire the next generation of soccer players in Canada.

Davies said camps like the one held Tuesday helped him find new friends as he was growing up, develop skills and compete, while also enjoying the moments.

The 22-year-old Edmontonian, who made history by scoring Canada's first and only goal at the men's FIFA World Cup in 2022, has inspired a young generation of players and hopes that his soccer camp will encourage youth to play the sport.

He's currently a member of FC Bayern Munich in Germany.

"Alphonso is an idol of mine," said 11-year-old Elias Sauer, who plays for a local soccer club, Edmonton Scottish, and aspires to "go big" like Davies.

I got mic’d up by <a href="https://twitter.com/BMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BMO</a> while I trained young Canadians! Don’t talk to me about getting tackled…