Curtis Davies

For the baseball player, see Curt Davis.
Curtis Davies

Davies in 2007
Personal information
Full name Curtis Eugene Davies[1]
Date of birth (1985-03-15) 15 March 1985[1]
Place of birth Leytonstone, England
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2]
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current team
 Hull City
Number 6
Youth career
2000–2001 Wimbledon
2001–2003 Luton Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005 Luton Town 56 (2)
2005–2008 West Bromwich Albion 65 (2)
2007–2008 → Aston Villa (loan) 12 (1)
2008–2011 Aston Villa 37 (2)
2010–2011 → Leicester City (loan) 12 (0)
2011–2013 Birmingham City 89 (11)
2013– Hull City 110 (4)
National team
2006–2007 England U21 3 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:25, 26 November 2016 (UTC).


Curtis Eugene Davies (born 15 March 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Hull City. Davies has previously played for Luton Town, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Birmingham City. He made two appearances for the England under-21s.

Club career

Early career

Davies was born in Leytonstone, London,[1] to an English mother and a Sierra Leonean father.[3] He started his football career with Wimbledon as a trainee at the age of 15. A year later, he was released. He wrote to every club in the local area, including Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and Millwall asking for a trial. Colchester United responded first, two weeks before any other club, and a trial was offered; after a couple of trial matches he was released. Luton Town were the next to offer him a trial. During the trial, he scored two goals in three games and was handed a scholarship straight away. He made his first-team debut in 2003.

He made six appearances in the league during the 2003–04 season, with the away performance at QPR particularly good. The next season Davies achieved his first promotion as he appeared in 44 league games for the Hatters, scoring his first senior goal in the title-clinching win at Wrexham. As well as winning Luton Town's Young Player of the Year award,[4] Davies was named Football League One Player of the Year,[5] and was selected alongside five Luton teammates in the PFA League One Team of the Year.[6]

The next season Davies only managed six games, and one goal in his final game, at home to Millwall, before his impressive displays saw him signed by Premier League side West Bromwich Albion on 31 August 2005 for a fee of £3 million.[7]

West Bromwich Albion

Davies made 35 starts and scored two goals in his first season with Albion, which ended with the club being relegated to the Championship. In July 2006 he pledged his future to the club by signing a new four-year deal,[8] and was appointed captain on a permanent basis, having captained the team on several occasions during the previous season to become the club's second youngest captain of all time.[9][10] He was sent off for the first time in February 2007 after receiving two yellow cards for challenges on Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka. A month later, he broke a metatarsal in Albion's game against Crystal Palace, an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season and made him unavailable for selection for the first game at the new Wembley Stadium, an England under-21 international, for which he had been named in the squad.[11] Nevertheless, he was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for 2006–07.[12]

On 21 June, Davies had a transfer request rejected by West Brom,[13] and he resigned the captaincy.[14] The club were unwilling to allow him to leave unless their valuation was met, but Davies himself felt the asking price was too high for a player who had "been part of a relegated team".[15] On 30 August, Albion announced that they had given permission for Davies to speak to Aston Villa about a possible move.[16]

Aston Villa

2007–08

On 31 August 2007, Davies signed for Aston Villa on loan for the season, with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer of 2008.[17] He made his Villa debut in a 1–0 League Cup defeat to Leicester City on 27 September, afterwards comparing his performance to that of a pub team player:[18]

I was just awful. I didn't contribute anything. I've been bigging myself up, saying I'm ready and obviously I'm not. I'm not good enough to get in the team yet. I'm honest with myself in every performance and that was rubbish – I looked like a pub team player.

Davies made his Premier League debut with Villa in the 2–0 home victory against Derby County on 3 November,[19] and scored on his first Premier League start, in a 2–1 away victory at Wigan Athletic in December.[20] He then became a regular in Villa's back four at the expense of Zat Knight.[21]

On 1 March 2008, Davies suffered a ruptured achilles tendon against Arsenal and was expected to be out for at least six months.[22]

2008–09

Davies before an Aston Villa match in 2008

Davies signed a four-year contract with Aston Villa to make the move permanent on 3 July 2008.[23] The fee was undisclosed, but was reported at between £8m and £11m.[24] Manager Martin O'Neill had said in April that he "[didn't] expect to see him back until October or November time",[22] but Davies was fit to start Villa's UEFA Cup match against Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar on 14 August.[25] He captained Aston Villa for the first time on 6 November, in the 1–0 UEFA Cup win against Slavia Prague, with regular captain Martin Laursen on the substitutes' bench.[26] He scored his first goal of the season in January 2009, helping his team to a 2–1 win against his former club West Bromwich Albion.[25] Davies chose not to celebrate the goal out of respect for his former club.

2009–10

Davies started the opening game of the season, a 2–0 defeat at home to Wigan Athletic described by The Guardian's reporter as showing "shambolic defending and failure to play with any cohesion", in which Davies "looked vulnerable every time Wigan attacked".[27] In contrast, a week later, Davies scored the second of Villa's three goals away to Liverpool with a header from a corner-kick in first-half stoppage time, in what BBC Sport's reporter called "an outstanding defensive display".[28] Davies' recurring shoulder problems required surgery in September. During his absence, Villa brought in defenders James Collins from West Ham United and Richard Dunne from Manchester City.[29] He returned to action as a second-half substitute in the FA Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion on 23 January, replacing Stephen Warnock. A suggested loan to Scottish Premier League club Celtic in order to gain match fitness was rejected by O'Neill, who felt the club could not afford to lose Davies's services for the whole season.[30] He made no further first-team appearances.[31]

2010–11

Davies was transfer-listed in the summer of 2010. In August, Martin O'Neill resigned from his position at the club. Following this, Davies told journalists that he felt O'Neill had not given him a fair chance and that he hoped a new manager would give every member of the squad a clean slate.[32] Davies appeared just twice before joining Championship club Leicester City on 15 October on a month's loan.[33] His debut, against Hull City the next day, was the first league game he had played in twelve months.[34] The loan was extended until January 2011,[35] and Davies played regularly until returning to Aston Villa when his loan expired.[36]

Birmingham City

On 28 January 2011, Davies signed for rivals Birmingham City on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[37] He was given the squad number 32.[38] Davies was cup-tied for Birmingham's victory in the 2011 League Cup Final.[39] He made his first-team debut in a 3–1 home defeat to former club West Bromwich Albion in March, coming into the starting eleven in place of the injured Martin Jiránek.[40] His first goal for the club came when he opened the scoring with a header from a Jordon Mutch corner on 6 August 2011 as Birmingham went on to lose 2–1 at Derby County.[41] In Birmingham's first match in major European competition for nearly 50 years, the Europa League play-off round first leg against Portuguese club Nacional, which finished goalless, Davies made a well-timed tackle from behind to prevent Mateus opening the scoring.[42]

Hull City

Davies playing for Hull City in 2014

On 25 June 2013, Davies moved to newly promoted Premier League side Hull City on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported by BBC Sport as "understood to be around £2.25 million".[43] He made his debut on the first day of the 2013–14 season in a 2–0 loss away at Chelsea,[44] and scored his first goal for the club on 14 September against Cardiff City, when he headed home Tom Huddlestone's precise cross from six yards.[45] At the annual awards ceremony on 7 May 2014, at the KC Stadium, Davies was voted as the Player of the Year.[46] On 17 May 2014 he started in the 2014 FA Cup Final against Arsenal and scored to put his side 2–0 up, however Hull went on to lose 3–2.[47] On 16 March 2016 Davies signed a 2-year extension to his contract with the club.[48]

International career

Davies made his England under-21 debut on 28 February 2006, against Norway U21s.[49] He was capped three times by the England under-21s from 2006 to 2007.[49] He was named in Fabio Capello's first provisional England squad. Davies initially expressed shock at the news of his call-up.[50] He has since been named in other England squads but has yet to make his full debut.[51]

Davies is also eligible for the Republic of Ireland through his grandparents and it was reported that the FAI have contacted him about the possibility.[52] He then revealed that his grandmother was born in Ireland while her English father was serving there in the army, so he has no Irish heritage. He went on to say that he would prefer to play for the country of his father, Sierra Leone, if he fails to get into the England squad.[53]

Career statistics

Davies with Birmingham City in 2011
As of 26 November 2016
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Luton Town 2003–04[54] Second Division 600000—1[lower-alpha 1]070
2004–05[55] League One 4413010—00481
2005–06[56] Championship 61—10——71
Total 5623020—10622
West Bromwich Albion 2005–06[56] Premier League 33220———352
2006–07[57] Championship 3204020——380
2007–08[19] Championship 00—00——00
Total 6526020——732
Aston Villa (loan) 2007–08[19] Premier League 1211010——141
Aston Villa 2008–09[25] Premier League 35140006[lower-alpha 2]0—451
2009–10[31] Premier League 2110002[lower-alpha 3]0—51
2010–11[36] Premier League 0000101[lower-alpha 3]0—20
Total 493602090—663
Leicester City (loan) 2010–11[36] Championship 120————120
Birmingham City 2010–11[36] Premier League 6010———70
2011–12[58] Championship 42550104[lower-alpha 3]02[lower-alpha 4]1546
2012–13[59] Championship 4162020——456
Total 89118030402110612
Hull City 2013–14[44] Premier League 3725310——435
2014–15[60] Premier League 21010003[lower-alpha 3]0—250
2015–16[61] Championship 3923020—3[lower-alpha 4]0472
2016–17[62] Premier League 1300020——150
Total 1104935030301297
Career total 381223231401606144926
  1. ↑ Appearances in the Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Cup
  3. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  4. 1 2 Appearances in the Championship play-offs

Honours

Luton Town

Hull City

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  2. ↑ "Hull City Player Profiles". Hull City A.F.C. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  3. ↑ Kessel, Anna (29 October 2006). "Colour blind". The Observer. London. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Szczepanik, Nick (30 May 2005). "League One – Season review". The Times. London. Retrieved 23 April 2013 – via NewsBank.
  5. ↑ "Powerade Players of the Season announced". The Football League. 18 May 2005. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  6. ↑ "Sunderland/Wigan dominate line-up". BBC Sport. 24 April 2005. Retrieved 26 April 2007.
  7. ↑ "West Brom snap up defender Davies". BBC Sport. 1 September 2005. Retrieved 26 April 2007.
  8. ↑ Rutledge, Lewis (28 July 2006). "Davies pens new Baggies deal". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Davies makes Villa switch permanent". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 3 July 2008. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009.
  10. ↑ Leach, Conrad (6 August 2006). "West Bromwich 2 Hull City 0: Hartson hammers Hull as Gera pulls the strings". The Independent. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "Davies to miss rest of the season". BBC Sport. 14 March 2007. Retrieved 26 April 2007.
  12. ↑ "Ronaldo secures PFA awards double". BBC Sport. 22 April 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2007.
  13. ↑ "West Brom reject Davies request". BBC Sport. 21 June 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
  14. ↑ Buckingham, Mark (16 July 2007). "Davies gives up captaincy". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  15. ↑ Buckingham, Mark (20 July 2007). "Davies: £10m is too high". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  16. ↑ "Davies in Villa talks". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 31 August 2007. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009.
  17. ↑ "Villa sign Davies on season loan". BBC Sport. 31 August 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  18. ↑ "Davies admits to nightmare debut". BBC Sport. 27 September 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2007.
  19. 1 2 3 "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  20. ↑ Howell, Bill (29 December 2007). "Wigan Athletic 1 Aston Villa 2". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  21. ↑ "Duo leap to defence of Knight after errors; Villa news". Birmingham Mail. 13 December 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2013 – via The Free Library.
  22. 1 2 "O'Neill won't rush Davies". Sky Sports. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  23. ↑ "Permanent Villa move for Davies". BBC Sport. 25 May 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  24. ↑ "Stoke City interested in signing Curtis Davies". BBC Sport. 12 January 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
    "Aston Villa's Curtis Davies targeting comeback against West Brom". Daily Mirror. 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009.
    Hill, Graham (21 July 2008). "Villa boss O'Neill expects Davies to make quick return from achilles injury". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
    "Davies to fight for future". Sky Sports. 3 August 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  25. 1 2 3 "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  26. ↑ Nursey, James (7 November 2008). "Big John laps it up". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  27. ↑ James, Stuart (16 August 2009). "Aston Villa haunted by stark reality of no Gareth Barry and Martin Laursen". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  28. ↑ McNulty, Phil (24 August 2009). "Liverpool 1–3 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  29. ↑ "Davies undergoes shoulder surgery". BBC Sport. 9 September 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  30. ↑ "O'Neill rules out Davies loan". Sky Sports. 24 January 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  31. 1 2 "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  32. ↑ Mirza, Razwan (10 August 2010). "Davies welcomes O'Neill exit". Sky Sports. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  33. ↑ "Leicester City sign Aston Villa's Curtis Davies on loan". BBC Sport. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  34. ↑ Evans, Gregg (19 October 2010). "Curtis Davies launches attack on way Martin O'Neill treated him". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  35. ↑ "Leicester City extend Davies loan deal from Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  36. 1 2 3 4 "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  37. ↑ "Davies makes cross-city switch to Birmingham". Aston Villa F.C. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  38. ↑ "Birmingham City 2010/11". FootballSquads. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  39. ↑ "Curtis Davies joins Birmingham from Aston Villa". BBC. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  40. ↑ Tattum, Colin (7 March 2011). "Curtis Davies speaks about Birmingham City's hurt after West Brom defeat". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  41. ↑ "Derby 2–1 Birmingham". BBC Sport. 6 August 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  42. ↑ Tattum, Colin (19 August 2011). "Nacional 0, Birmingham City 0". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  43. ↑ "Curtis Davies: Hull City sign Birmingham City defender". BBC Sport. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  44. 1 2 "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  45. ↑ Scott, Les (14 September 2013). "Hull City 1 Cardiff City 1: match report". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
    "Hull 1–1 Cardiff: Davies and Whittingham keep it interesting during KC clash". Daily Express. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  46. ↑ "Davies scoops top prize". Hull City A.F.C. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  47. 1 2 McNulty, Phil (17 May 2014). "Arsenal 3–2 Hull". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  48. ↑ "New Deal For Davies As Defender Signs Contract Extension". Hull City A.F.C. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  49. 1 2 "Curtis Davies". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  50. ↑ "O'Neill pride at England call-ups". BBC Sport. 31 January 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2007.
  51. ↑ "Mancienne gets shock England call". BBC Sport. 15 November 2008. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
  52. ↑ Nursey, James (29 October 2013). "Ireland want Hull's Curtis Davies to give up his England dream and play for them instead". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  53. ↑ McDonnell, Daniel (12 April 2014). "'I'd rather play for Sierra Leone than Ireland' – Curtis Davies". Independent. Ireland. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  54. ↑ "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  55. ↑ "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  56. 1 2 "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  57. ↑ "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  58. ↑ "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  59. ↑ "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  60. ↑ "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  61. ↑ "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  62. ↑ "Games played by Curtis Davies in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  63. ↑ Williams, Adam (28 May 2016). "Hull City 1–0 Sheffield Wednesday". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  64. ↑ "Spurs defender Kyle Walker wins PFA Young Player award". BBC Sport. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.

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