Canada Soccer’s Canadian under-17 Players of the Year awards were presented last week to Alphonso Davies and Deanna Rose.
The two were prominent in their performance the past 12 months with the national youth program.
Davies, who was a member of the Whitecap Residency program up to this past summer, became the youngest player in Canada Soccer’s Canadian championship, helping Whitecaps FC reach the national final.
He joined the Residency program, where most of the players attend Burnaby Central secondary, as a 14 year old. In the past summer, Davies debuted with the USL’s Whitecaps 2 prior to his 16th birthday. He also played three matches for Canada, including a pair of back-to-back wins against Jamaica where he scored once and set up another with the men’s u17 team.
“Alphonso Davies fully deserves the award,” said Tony Fonseca, Canada Soccer’s technical director. “At such a young age, he has already made an impact at Whitecaps FC and there is plenty of optimism about his future as he matures. His skills, work ethic and humbleness are remarkable.”
Rose, from Ontario, was a member of three national teams, playing for Canada at the u17, u20 and national level.
She was the youngest member of the Olympic bronze medal-winning team in Rio, scoring once and setting up another in a victory over host Brazil.
“This award caps off a fantastic 2016 for the youngest goal scorer in Olympic history,” said John Herdman, the women’s national team head coach. “Her international journey has only just begun and I am certain that she will be delivering many more great memories for Canadians in the years to come.”
Rose finished first in the voting of Canada Soccer coaches, just ahead of Burnaby native Emma Regan.
