It took Jonathan David a while to establish himself at French club Lille. Three months, to be precise.

The striker scored his first French league goal a year ago after arriving at Lille from Belgian side Gent in August.

Since then, the 21-year-old Canadian has become one of the most sought-after young strikers in Europe.

David's midweek goal in the 1-0 win over Salzburg in the Champions League was his 12th this season in all competitions. Only Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland (13) has scored more in the top five European leagues among players born in 2000 or later.

This goal, after scoring a double in the French championship this weekend, ensures Lille its first home victory in the Champions League for 15 years. It wasn't spectacular, but it required the kind of composure that world-class strikers possess.

After teammate Burak Yilmaz caused concern in the box, David was unforgiving when the ball bounced unexpectedly while he was at his mercy. In a split second, he calmly passes it onto his left foot and then into the net.

“I enjoy it,” said the former midfielder. “But the most important thing is to win. If my goals and my work help the team, I'm happy. “I'm in good shape, but it's a collective effort, because my teammates put me in the best conditions to finish games.”

Paris Saint-Germain's stellar attacking trident, featuring Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, grabs the headlines, but David is also proving to be a big attraction with his brilliant performances.

David is the top scorer in the French championship – author of 10 to be the author of more than half of Lille's victories – before Saturday's duel against Nantes.

But Lille have been too intermittent in defending their league title and presented another challenge to PSG's supremacy. The capital club, which travels to Saint-Etienne on Sunday, is 11 points ahead of Nice, its immediate second team.

David, who was born in New York and moved to Haiti when he was three months old, was six years old when the family moved to Ottawa. He made his international debut for Canada in 2018 and is now a key player for the national team, which is seeking to qualify for its first World Cup since 1986.

“It's been a blessing,” Canada coach John Herdman said. “What I like about Jonathan is the fact that he has his feet on the ground: I call him “the iceman”. Just fearless… He doesn't get too carried away with praise and I think that will make a difference for him.