Vancouver Whitecaps give 15-year-old Alphonso Davies pro contract

The Vancouver Whitecaps gave Alphonso Davies a professional contract on Friday night, making the 15-year-old the youngest active player in MLS.
Davies, who already played for the Caps in four Canadian Championship games this year, is available to play on Saturday night against Orlando City.
The signing is no mere gesture for a rising prospect, as Davies could be called upon to fill in for Kekuta Manneh, who had surgery on Friday after breaking his foot last weekend.
He is the first player to sign a pro deal from Vancouver's USL affiliate WFC2.

Cristian Techera scored a stunning goal from distance as Vancouver earned three points against Real Salt Lake.

"Alphonso is a bright young player who has earned this opportunity," Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson said in a statement. "He still has a lot of hard work ahead of him, but at this point in time we felt this was the best move for his development and for the club.
"This is another great example of our player pathway and we hope he will be the first of many WFC2 players to make the next step."
Davies also played for the Whitecaps in preseason friendlies, and the midfielder scored against the Houston Dynamo on Feb. 9.
"This is a dream come true," Davies said. "I've grown so much since joining the Residency program last year, and have continued to learn from the first-team players and coaching staff. Coming to Vancouver was the best decision of my life. "I'm so thankful to the club for having faith in me and I can't wait to get started in MLS."
Davies was born in Liberia but grew up in Edmonton and is a Canada youth international and played for the under-20 team in a friendly in March.