David’s route to the Premier League has been anything but straightforward. Toronto FC released him from their academy at 15, while a proposed move to Croatia reportedly collapsed after the club president who invited him lost his position.
He later found opportunities in Malta and Estonia, where his career accelerated. The report says David scored 14 goals and supplied three assists in 16 appearances for Nõmme Kalju in 2024, earning his move to Union. He subsequently helped the Belgian club win its first league title since 1935 and scored memorable European goals against PSV Eindhoven and Galatasaray.
Brighton appear to have recruited a forward whose progress has come through persistence rather than a conventional development path. Mike Cave described David as an “out-and-out striker”, a label that points to a more direct presence in a squad often associated with fluid movement and positional rotation.
His early opportunities have been limited. David has reportedly made two brief Premier League appearances, featuring against Chelsea and Leeds, but his first start and first Brighton goal remain ahead of him.
That lack of immediate output should not overshadow the bigger picture. David’s spell in Estonia, his rise at Union and his emergence for Canada - including a goal against Switzerland after recovering from a serious hip injury - all point to a player accustomed to fighting for his next chance.
The next step is obvious: a first start. Brighton’s upcoming fixtures will reveal whether David can turn a compelling story into a reliable answer in the post-Welbeck attack.