Jonathan David

Gent

In January 2018, David joined Belgian First Division A side Gent. He made his professional debut on August 4, 2018, against Zulte Waregem and scored a goal in stoppage time to salvage a 1–1 draw. Just five days after his league debut, David came in as a second-half substitute in a Europa League third round qualifier against Jagiellonia Białystok, scoring a goal in the 85th minute to secure a 1–0 win for his team. David continued his scoring streak three days later, coming in as a 71st-minute substitute and scoring two late goals to secure a 4–1 league win against Waasland-Beveren. After scoring five goals in his first five games, Gent signed David to a contract extension through 2022. He further extended his contract by a year to 2023 in September 2019. In the January 2020 transfer window, Gent chairman Ivan de Witte indicated there was significant interest in David from bigger clubs, with his value estimated at €20 million.

Lille

2020–21: Ligue 1 champion

On August 11, 2020, Ligue 1 side Lille confirmed the signing of David on a five-year contract. The reported fee for David was €30 million, making him the most expensive Canadian transfer to date. He made his competitive debut for Lille on August 22 against Rennes in their Ligue 1 season opener, becoming the first Canadian to play in Ligue 1. After a difficult start to the season, David scored his first goal for Lille on November 22 against Lorient, netting the final goal in a 4–0…

Youth

David was first identified by the Canadian youth national team program in 2015 after attending several under-15 camps and was regularly called up to Canada under-17 camps in the lead-up to the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship. David subsequently represented Canada at the tournament, and scored a brace against Suriname in the final group game. In May 2018, David was called up to the Canadian Under-21 team for the 2018 Toulon Tournament. David received a call-up to the United States under-20 team by Tab Ramos in 2018. He declined the invitation to focus on his club career, and because his desire was to represent Canada.

Senior

Debut and 2019 Gold Cup

David received his first senior call up to Canada on August 30, 2018, for a CONCACAF Nations League qualifier against the U.S. Virgin Islands. He made his senior debut in the match on September 9, starting and netting a brace in an 8–0 victory. David was named to the final squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup on May 30, 2019. In Canada's final group game during the tournament against Cuba, he scored a hat-trick in a 7–0 win. Despite Canada's elimination to Haiti in the quarter-finals, David finished the tournament as the Golden Boot winner with six goals. After Canada's 6–0 victory over Cuba on September 7, 2019, David set the record for most Canada senior international goals in a single year with eight in 2019. For his efforts, he was named the 2019 Canadian Men's Player of the Year.

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A versatile forward, David plays primarily as a second striker in a 4–4–2 formation or as an attacking midfielder; he is also capable of playing as an out–and–out striker, and is known for his goalscoring ability. As a second striker, in a partnership he plays just behind the other primary striker. David is able to find gaps in the defence and to attack these areas with his pace, noted for his high top speeds. He is also able to play short passes and combine with teammates to attack the goal area, he is able to play best with his tight control and sharp interplay between teammates. Due to his pace and speed, David is also effective on counterattacks. Moreover, he is known for his tactical intelligence, defensive work-rate, and ability to read the game, as well as his willingness to press opposing players off the ball.

David was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Haitian parents. The family moved to Port-au-Prince when he was three months old. In 2006, they emigrated from Haiti to Canada and settled in Ottawa. David attended the Francophone public school École secondaire publique Louis-Riel. He cites this as a reason for his success, saying: "It helped to always have the ball at my feet when I was at Louis Riel." David began playing organized soccer at age ten with Ottawa club Gloucester Dragons SC. A year later, he joined Ottawa Gloucester SC, where he played for the club's Hornets team until 2015. In 2016, he joined Ottawa Internationals SC. Growing up, David watched European soccer but not Major League Soccer, as he had no desire to play professionally in North America. Instead, he was singularly focused on playing professionally in Europe. Before signing with Gent, David had trials at FC Salzburg and VfB Stuttgart, but was rejected by both.