Jonathan David has a low-key personality, like the route he took into professional football. The 22-year-old Canada forward has faced many challenges in his career but has taken them in his stride.
David was born in New York and moved to Haiti at three years old. He joined the local club at the age of nine and made the first of several good decisions.
There wasn't much development at the academy of a Major League Soccer team. He was courted by Toronto FC, the Whitecaps and the Impact, but he stayed with the club.
He left the Hornets after seven years and joined Belgian club Gent. He moved to French club Lille in 2020 after impressing there.
He is one of the most dangerous forwards in the country, and his rise has continued. He will be playing as a forward when he faces the Blues in the last 16 of the European competition on Tuesday.
Facing the reigning European champion is another step in David's seemingly inexorable rise to the very top, and he does not lack self-belief.
He never has. The shy youngster told his coaches at an early age that he wanted to play in Europe.
Had he been told back then that he was going to play a key part in winning one of the major league titles so early in his career, he might have been pleasantly surprised.
He scored 13 goals last season, helping Lille to a first Ligue 1 title in a decade, and beating big-spending Paris St-Germain in the process.
Hornets technical director Jay DaCosta says that he was a shy boy but on the pitch he would just score goals.
His plan was always to go to Europe. He took that path despite the fact that the Canadian MLS sides wanted him. I would have signed one of those contracts because I know the environment those clubs have, but he stayed local and worked on his game.
He has made good decisions in his career. He would get playing time in Belgium and the same with Lille.
It came out of the blue. Normally the route is an MLS academy and you build from there. When a kid from Canada tells you he is going to play in Europe, you know he did it.
He has scored 12 more goals this season, cementing his status as one of European football's most coveted young players.
Soon, though, he may be doing better on the global stage than he is on the European club stage.
The Davies brothers, David and Alphonso, have excelled under English manager John Herdman, who has helped propel Canada towards their second World Cup appearance.
David has a new platform to demonstrate his talents after Canada beat the United States in the international window to become heavy favorites to qualify for the tournament.
Steven Caldwell was on Canada's coaching staff until last year, and he says David can go to the top.
Jonny is special and I think he can play for any team in the world. He will make life difficult for some people.
He has great composure and is quick. He eats up the ground but has a lot to improve on, which is crazy.
He has grown in the time I have known him, but he has never really changed. It is rare when you move to a different country so young.
He puts on a game face and is a cold assassin.
Football is viewed differently in Canada because of the World Cup qualification form.
According to DaCosta, the Hornets were able to stay afloat thanks to the sell-on clauses in his contracts with Lille and Gent.
There is nothing more inspiring for a young player than to read about this kid, especially the route he took, and we have pictures of him all over our website.
We post about him on social media a lot and he was over here during the Christmas break, working with a couple of local teams and kids, which is amazing.
The Jonathan David money has helped immensely to keep our community club going.
With Lille struggling to replicate last season's feats and sitting mid-table despite David's form, there is regular talk about a move to one of Europe's most prestigious clubs.
If he can impress against them, his stock will rise. You would expect everyone to be interested, but his choices have been calculated around his development.
He could really improve if he worked under a top manager. I am looking forward to seeing him in a team with lots of possession, he is very defensive in Lille and plays on the counter attack.
I can see him at Manchester City if he is at the right price.
They can expect Lille to cause problems, even though they are overwhelming favorites for the tie.
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