‘It makes me proud:’ World Cup watch party celebrates Ottawa hero Jonathan David

The Gloucester Hornets, the former club of Jonathan David, held a watch party to cheer on Canada in the World Cup. CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports.

Canada soccer fans in Ottawa are celebrating a hometown hero at the World Cup.

Star forward Jonathan David grew up in Ottawa and played for the Gloucester Hornets Soccer Club. On Sunday, the team came together for a watch party to catch David on the pitch as Canada captured a historic win in the Round of 32 over South Africa.

Players like Nicolas Somon say they are inspired by David.

“It makes me proud and confident about myself every time I play,” he said in an interview with CTV News Ottawa.

“Every time I play on this pitch, on this grass, I remember that Jonathan David touched this grass.”

“It makes me proud. And it makes me happy to be able to do the same thing that he did a couple years ago.”

The clubhouse in Ottawa’s east end dubbed “The Hornets Nest” holds one of David’s jerseys on the wall

“It’s cool because maybe I’m going to go to the same places that he has been to,” said Jovie Savoie. “And I want to play for Team Canada.”

“It’s super cool,” added Tomas Augirre.

“I mean, his dedication to the game and just like all the hard work he put in. Yeah, it’s amazing.”

The team has been hosting other watch parties for Canada’s three group stage rounds. David has so far scored four goals in the tournament, including a historic hat trick in the team’s 6-0 victory over Qatar.

“It’s pure excitement, right? I mean everyone jumping off their chairs,” said Jay Da Costa, lead technical director with the Hornets.

After playing with the Hornets, David moved to the Ottawa Internationals before making the move to Europe where he currently plays with Juventus in Italy’s Serie A.

“He’s exactly what inspires every single youth player here that you can reach that level,” says Da Costa. “And he did it all on his own terms through hard work.”

Da Costa says officials want to ensure the next generation of soccer players sees what is possible.

“He just did it through hard work and just belief in himself,” he said. “And that’s the biggest thing that we could pass on to the next generation.”

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