Jonathan David's incredible hot streak coming at the perfect time

What’s especially remarkable about Jonathan David’s incredible hot streak is that he can’t quite explain it.

David, a 24-year-old from Ottawa, has been on fire since the start of the 2024-25 season, scoring on a regular basis for both club and country.

The Canadian forward has 13 goals and two assists in 21 appearances in all competitions for French side Lille OSC, including strikes against European heavyweights Real Madrid and Juventus, and a brace against Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

He’s been just as prolific for Canada with four goals in his last six outings, one of which was the winner in last week’s 3-0 victory over Suriname in Toronto to help send his country through to next year’s Concacaf Nations League Finals in Los Angeles.

“He’s maybe one of the hottest strikers in Europe right now, he seems to score every match. He’s dangerous every match, sets up goals, he’s a complete player,” Canadian men’s team coach Jesse Marsch enthused.

David’s 31 goals in 59 games make him the Canadian men’s team’s all-time leading scorer. Incredibly, he’s been directly involved in eight of the 12 goals (with five assists) that Canada has scored since Marsch’s appointment in May, while also forcing the turnover that led to a ninth goal. Not only did he score the winner against Suriname last week, he set up Junior Hoilett’s 82nd-minute goal in a 1-0 Canadian road victory over the Surinamese a few days earlier with a perfect cross into the box.

Safe to say that David has rebounded quite nicely from a somewhat disappointing showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Nations League Final to become one of the top players in the entire Concacaf region. The mild-mannered, soft-spoken David has quietly established himself as one of the best young forwards in the game over the past few years with his explosive goal-scoring prowess.

Maybe David doesn’t realize just how good he is. But he seemed to genuinely struggle to come up with an answer when asked to explain his rich vein of form after last week’s goal against Suriname.

"It's just that sharpness that you feel when you get into the game. That first couple of minutes, that first couple of actions — you just feel good, confident, and after the rest comes," David said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Part of David’s success can be attributed to his athleticism. Quick on the dribble, he also has pace to burn when the ball isn’t at his feet and puts it to dangerous use by routinely getting in behind opponents.

More importantly, there’s also a cerebral edge to David’s playing style. His vision and ability to read the game in real time give him an advantage over defenders who are zeroed in on trying to stop him.

David’s on-field intelligence hasn’t gone unnoticed by Marsch, who called the forward “the smartest player I've ever coached,” and doesn’t believe “he has any real weaknesses.”

“His understanding of what's happening in the game and how to move around to find the game in the right way, to help the team, I think is at a really high level,” Marsch offered.

His Canadian teammates are also full of praise for David. Co-captain Stephen Eustáquio, a central midfielder with Portugal's FC Porto, called David “one of the best Canadian players ever.” Toronto FC fullback Richie Laryea, who is pretty quick himself, referred to the speedy forward as “unplayable.”

David’s dominating performances for Canada in recent months are all the more impressive considering he’s playing in a somewhat different position. Although primarily deployed as a traditional No. 9 with Lille, David has been used in a hybrid role by Marsch; someone who drops back a bit and serves as a playmaker, as well as a forward.

This tactical adjustment in his positioning has not only made it more challenging for defenders to track him, it also allows him to play a prominent role in Canada’s build-up. In this new role, David has been given the flexibility and freedom to become valuable to the Canadian team in more ways than just scoring goals.

"This is a part of my game that I try to work with because obviously I'm not the biggest, fastest guy in the world," David said. "There's people that are faster than me, stronger than me. So, I have to use my intelligence in ways to get in smart positions."

There are defensive benefits, too, as David acts as the first line of defence, giving his defenders more time to reset after Canada loses possession. David’s counter-pressing of opposing centre backs also helps his team clog up the middle, and forces opponents to work the ball into less dangerous attacking areas out wide.

David’s exemplary two-way play has helped the Canadian play the kind of high-tempo brand of soccer that Marsch has preached to his teams throughout his coaching career.

“I think it does maximize the effect that he can have in the game, which is part of the build-up, part of pressing, part of counter-pressing, part of being more than just standing up front to score goals,” Marsch explained.

David’s brilliant run of form comes at the perfect time for the young striker. As one of world soccer’s hottest commodities, big clubs such as FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and others have been keen on prying him away from Lille.

As luck would have it, he’s out of contract with Lille in June when he will become a free agent. All of the aforementioned clubs, as well as several big European giants, will be fighting it out to sign the talented Canadian.

It’s a foregone conclusion that David will leave the modest French club for bigger opportunities. As such, he faces the biggest decision of his young career and must decide where he wants to play his club football for the next five to six years.

Despite being linked with some of the top clubs in Europe, the young Canadian insists he’s not distracted and remains focused on the task at hand – banging in goals for Lille and Canada.

"For me, it's fairly easy to be honest," David said. "Because I don't really focus on these things. What I do on the pitch is the most important thing. And this is what will get me to the best level that I can be."

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