Canada's Promise David extends contract with Belgian champion Union Saint-Gilloise
The 23-year-old David, whose existing contract ran until 2027 with an option, is now signed with the Belgian club until June 2029.
David scored 24 goals and added five assists in 41 matches last season, helping Union Saint-Gilloise to its first league title in 90 years.
David is currently in Vancouver with Canada, which was scheduled to open Gold Cup play against Honduras later Tuesday at B.C. Place Stadium before heading to Houston to face Curaçao and El Salvador.
David scored in his senior debut for Canada in a 4-2 win over Ukraine earlier this month at the Canadian Shield Tournament in Toronto.
Born in Brampton to Nigerian parents, David made his debut for the Nigerian under-23 side in October 2022. But in February, after talks with Canada coach Jesse Marsch, his request to switch allegiance was approved by FIFA.
David started at the Toronto FC pre-academy, spending two or three years there before he was let go at 14. He found a new home with Vaughan SC.
After high school, David elected to go pro rather than the U.S. college route — he only got one partial scholarship offer, from Appalachian State.
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
After attending a tryout camp held by a Croatian second-division team in suburban Oakville in 2019, he found himself in Croatia two weeks later. That led to a move to third-division NK Trnje Zagreb where he played in the under-19 league against youth sides from top teams.
In 2021, he returned to North America to join FC Tulsa of the USL Championship. The next year he went to Malta where he was initially assigned to the under-19 team at Valetta FC but was quickly promoted to the senior side. After the team survived relegation, he switched clubs and hit a roadblock at Sirens FC, where he didn't play.
The six-foot-four 209-pounder joined Estonia's Kalju FC in In early 2023 before moving to Belgium last July.
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
23 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar wins the Tour de France for the fourth time
Published Jul 27, 2025 • 1 minute read UAE Team Emirates - XRG team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar celebrates his overall victory as he cycles to the finish line of the 21st and final stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 132.3 km between Mantes-la-Ville and Paris Champs-Elysees, on July 27, 2025. Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP via Getty Images PARIS —Tadej Pogacar won his fourth Tour de France title by a comfortable margin after Sunday's final stage, which he tried to win even though he did not need to. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The 26-year-old Slovenian rider won the Tour last year and in 2020 and 2021. Two-time Tour champion Jonas Vinegaard finished the overall race 4 minutes, 24 seconds behind Pogacar in second place and Florian Lipowitz was 11 minutes adrift in third. Belgian rider Wout van Aert won the 21st and last stage, which broke with tradition and featured three climbs of Montmartre hill. Because of the risk of heavy rain and crashes, organizers had earlier decided to neutralize the times 50 kilometres from the end, effectively giving Pogacar the victory — but providing he crossed the finish line. Pogacar had no need to contest the stage win, especially given the danger of crashing on slick roads. Yet as the rain fell heavily, he showed his relentless thirst for victory and attacked anyway, setting a tremendous pace in the Montmartre climbs as fans cheered. Only five riders were left with Pogacar on the third ascension of the 1.1-kilometre Montmartre hill. After fending off American Matteo Jorgenson, he was caught cold near the top as Van Aert launched a stunning attack to drop _ yes, drop! — Pogacar, the world's best climber, on the steepest section. Van Aert rolled back down for a prestigious stage win. Pogacar looked weary as he crossed the line in fourth place, 19 seconds behind. But then it was time to celebrate title No. 4. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Sports Columnists Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Toronto Blue Jays
Edmonton Journal
23 minutes ago
- Edmonton Journal
Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes making his case at Canadian world junior camp
Article content Vancouver Canucks 2025 first-round draft pick Braeden Cootes is among the 20 forwards and 36 players overall slated to represent Hockey Canada in the World Junior Showcase, which runs today through Saturday in Minneapolis. Article content Cootes, 18, is a right-shot centre with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, and Vancouver picked him at No. 15 a month ago in Los Angeles. Cootes signed his three-year, entry-level deal with the Canucks July 9, and he's expected to return this season to the Thunderbirds. He had 26 goals and 63 points in 60 regular season games with a young, rebuilding Seattle team last season. He was Seattle's captain as well. Article content Article content There were 44 players invited to the camp this week, but eight forwards are listed as 'unable to attend' by Hockey Canada. The includes Kelowna Rockets centre Tij Iginla and Brandon Wheat Kings centre Roger McQueen, who both missed much of last season with injuries. Article content Article content Canada's invited list features seven players from last year's world junior squad who were eligible to return. Cootes is among 22 players invited who previously won gold at the Under-18 worlds. There are eight 18-year-old forwards invited, including Cootes. The remaining 20 are 19 years old. Article content Longtime London Knights coach Dale Hunter is bench boss for this Canadian representative. The tournament is in Minneapolis and St. Paul and gets going Boxing Day. Article content Cootes has been lauded for his leadership and character. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said on draft day: 'They have a lot of great history of NHL players coming out of that program and Braeden being a captain, a leader of that team, that excited my staff.' Article content Article content Canucks defence prospect Sawyer Mynio, who was a Cootes teammate with Seattle before being traded to the Calgary Hitmen last year, played for Canada at last year's world juniors in Ottawa. Canada lost 4-3 to Czechia in the quarterfinals. Article content
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Summer McIntosh wins first gold medal at worlds in her quest for five
For Summer McIntosh of Canada, it's one gold medal won at the swimming world championships with four to go. McIntosh is aiming to win five gold medals in individual events at the worlds in Singapore, and the first one came Sunday in the 400-metre freestyle on the first of eight days in the pool. Only legendary American Michael Phelps has ever won five individual medals in the worlds. He also did it at the Olympics. The 18-year-old McIntosh, from Toronto, extended her Canadian-best career gold medal total to five at long-course worlds, and with her ninth medal overall moved into a tie with Kylie Masse and Penny Oleksiak for most ever by a Canadian. McIntosh won but did not break her own world record, winning in 3 minutes, 56.26 seconds. Li Bingjie of China took silver (3:58.21) with a late charge to leave American Katie Ledecky (3:58.49) with bronze. Story continues below advertisement A year ago in the Olympics, Ledecky also took bronze in the 400. McIntosh was the silver medalist with gold for Australian Ariarne Titmus of Australia. Titmus is taking a year off and did not swim and has since lost her world record in the event to McIntosh. For Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medallist, it was her 27th medal in the world championships in an astonishing career. She won her first Olympic gold in 2012 in London, and then started adding world championship medals beginning in Barcelona in 2013. About 25 minutes after winning the 400, McIntosh came back and qualified first in the 200 individual medley, clocking 2:07.39. American Alex Walsh was second in 2:08.49. That final is Monday. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I've never done a double like that,' McIntosh said. 'I think the 400 free, at past world championships and Olympics, I haven't been at my best. And I haven't been where I wanted to be. So, to finally stand in the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet.' The Canadian added: I think I'm at my best. I'm in the best shape of my life. So now I just have to act on that and put it into all my races.' The shock of the first day might have been Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi, who was the seventh fastest in qualifying and will swim in the final. Story continues below advertisement Asked her reaction, she replied: 'Oh, I'm in,' unaware she had advanced. 'I will continue to work harder,' she added. 'I hope to find a breakthrough at these world championships and show my potential.' Asked for her reaction to the competition, she added. 'You can feel it's quite intense. I try not to think so much and just give it my all.' The 200 IM might not even be her best event with the Chinese likely quicker in the 400 IM and the 200 butterfly. Meanwhile, the United States is swimming with what appears to be a weakened team after officials acknowledged Sunday that some members of the team had come down with 'acute gastroenteritis' at a training camp in Thailand prior to arriving in Singapore. Nikki Warner, a spokeswoman for USA Swimming, would not say how many fell ill in Thailand. She cited health confidentiality rules. She said all American swimmers had traveled to Singapore. In the other early individual final Sunday, Lukas Martens of Germany won the men's 400 free in 3:42.35, edging Sam Short of Australia who was .02 behind. Bronze went to Kim Woomin of South Korea in 3:42.60. Martens is the defending Olympic champion and also holds the world record of 3:39.96. Story continues below advertisement McIntosh, who won three gold medals a year ago at the Paris Olympics, holds the world record in the 400 free — 3:54.18. She will face off again with Ledecky in the 800 free later in the meet, probably the most anticipated race in Singapore. Though she holds the 400 free world record, McIntosh had failed to win gold in the event in the Olympics or previous world championships. McIntosh will also be after gold in the 200- and 400-individual medleys, and the 200 butterfly. Famed Olympian Michael Phelps is the only swimmer to have won five individual gold medals at a world championships. The other two gold medals Sunday were in the relays. The United States was the favorite in both and failed to win either. The Australian women took gold just ahead of the United States in the 4×100 freestyle relay. The Aussies clocked 3:30.60 with 3:31.04 for the US. The Netherlands took bronze in 3:33.89. On the men's side in the 4×100, Australia also took gold in 3:08.97. Italy took silver in 3:09.58 with bronze for the United States in 3:09.64. There were three other semifinal results on Sunday. Qin Haiyang of China took the 200 breaststroke in 58.24 with Paris Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi second in 58.62. The Italian was initially disqualified for moving on the blocks, but was later reinstated on appeal. Story continues below advertisement Gretchen Walsh of the United States and Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium tied in the 100 butterfly in 56.07, and Maxime Grousset of France took the men's 50 fly in 22.61.
