Brighton star Promise David backpacked across Europe on dad’s credit card and thought transfer big break was SCAM

PROMISE DAVID was a football backpacker in Europe when his life changed forever. And even then, Brighton’s on-loan Canada striker thought it was a scam. Promise David joined Brighton during the transfer window Credit: Getty He backpacked through Europe during his younger years Credit: Instagram @txby.72 David left home at 18 to join the academy of Croatian club Trnje and had a colourful journey via the USA and Malta to Estonian side Nomme Kalju. Where, in 2024, a notification on his phone stopped him in his tracks. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! David, now 25, explained: “I was just backpacking and having fun playing football through Europe, and seeing where things would take me next. “I couldn’t stay long-term anywhere and I just kept packing my bags and moving on, not really thinking what would come of it. Just thinking about my next meal. “It got a bit more serious in Estonia. “Then I found a really good place. Actually, I didn’t find a good place. “A good place found me.” That place was Union Saint-Gilloise, Brighton’s sister club in Belgium which has access to the same recruitment tools which remain the envy of football. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS David was at the World Cup with Canada Credit: Getty David said: “They’ve got a great data scout system, that’s all I can say. “They picked me out of blue air, but they said they had been monitoring me for a while. “At first, I thought it was spam, like a scam. Because if you’re playing third division Estonia, you don’t expect a team playing Europa League to call your phone. “It was a notification. Me and my agent at the time both saw it and I was like, “Nah, it’s not that”. “And then we sat on a Zoom call and I said: ‘Oh st, it’s them.’ They gave me a whole pitch, but I said yes before the pitch. It’s like sitting in a job interview and you’ve already accepted the job. “Two weeks later, I was in Belgium. A couple of months in, I was having the best times of my life.” David scored 19 goals in 34 league appearances in his debut season, firing Union to their first Belgian title for 90 years. During the campaign, the former Nigeria youth international switched allegiance from his parents’ birthplace to his own, Canada. David joined the Seagulls from Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium Credit: Getty And after injury prevented him from playing in Union’s Belgian Cup triumph, he found himself playing at a home World Cup. David made four substitute appearances, scoring in the group game against Switzerland, as Jesse Marsch guided Canada into the knockout stages for the first time in their history. The 6ft 5in centre forward said: “I got injured in February, I was out for three months. “And then your first game back is the World Cup game one in your home country. “It was a great experience. I think every game we broke records.” The folks back home are understandably thrilled. David, who has joined Brighton on a season-long loan with a conditional obligation to buy for £22m, said: “I think for the first three years, I had my dad’s credit card, so I was scraping by. “They’ve been pretty ecstatic for the rise. The fact that I was able to join the national team, play in competitions, World Cup, all that stuff. David used his dad’s credit card during his travels Credit: Instagram @txby.72 David joined Brighton on loan with an obligation to buy Credit: Instagram @txby.72 “They’re just enjoying the ride.” David made his Brighton debut as a substitute in the 4-3 defeat at Chelsea, who bought centre forward Danny Welbeck from the Seagulls over the summer. The Canadian said: “Same s**t, different day. Same game I was playing four years ago, just different stadium, different opponents. “I’m pretty good in the box. In terms of finding balls and just being in the right spaces at the right time. “Very good hold-up play. I kind of like to play with my back to goal against big centre-backs and being able to advance the team forward. “I’m pretty tall, so in the air I like to get up there. “I’m just hoping to bring goals. I think I’m a very unique player. With a very unique story. Comment now