Curtis Davies
Encyclopedia
Curtis Eugene Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender
for Birmingham City
. Davies has previously played for Luton Town
, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion
, Aston Villa
and Leicester City
.
, to an English mother and a Sierra Leonean Creole father. He started his 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 next club 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 full 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
. Davies was named League One Player of the Year for that season, as well as winning the Luton Town Young Player of the Year award. He also made the League One PFA
Team of the Year for 2004–05, alongside five of his teammates.
The next season Davies only managed six games, and a goal in his final game at home to Millwall before his impressive displays saw him signed by then-Premier League side West Bromwich Albion on 31 August 2005 for a fee of £3 million.
In 2006–07
Davies became West Brom captain on a permanent basis, having worn the armband on several occasions during the previous season. He became Albion's second youngest captain of all time. He received his first-ever red card against Middlesbrough
on 17 February 2007 after receiving two yellow cards for challenges on Boro striker Mark Viduka
. On 14 March, Davies broke his fifth metatarsal bone in the Baggies' game against Crystal Palace, ruling him out for the rest of the season. This made him unavailable for selection for the first ever game at the new Wembley Stadium
, where he was expected to have appeared for the England Under-21s. Davies was named in the PFA Championship team of the year for 2006–07.
On 21 June, Davies had a transfer request rejected by West Brom. Davies subsequently handed in two further transfer requests, both of which were rejected. On 30 August 2007, Albion announced that they had given permission for Davies to speak to Aston Villa
regarding a possible move.
defeat to Leicester City
on 27 September 2007. He compared his performance to that of a pub team player saying:
Davies made his Premier League debut with Villa in the 2–0 home victory against Derby County
on 3 November. He scored on his first Premier League start in a 2–1 away victory at Wigan Athletic
on 29 December 2007. He then became a regular in Aston Villa's back four at the expense of Zat Knight
.
On 1 March 2008 Davies suffered a season ending ruptured achilles tendon
against Arsenal
in a 1–1 draw and was thought to be out for around six months. But he surprised doctors by making a remarkable comeback much sooner than expected. He played 60 minutes in a behind-closed doors friendly against Notts County at Villa's training ground, and then 62 minutes in another friendly against Reading
at the Madjeski Stadium, a game that ended with a 1–1 draw.
Davies captained Aston Villa for the first time on 6 November 2008, in the 1–0 UEFA Cup
win against Slavia Prague, with regular captain Martin Laursen
on the substitutes' bench. He netted his first goal of the 2008–09 season in January 2009, helping his team to a 2–1 win against his former club West Bromwich Albion.
in a very disappointing and unsuccessful game with goals from Hugo Rodallega
and Jason Koumas
. However the team's next league game was away at Anfield
, Davies scored the second goal of the game with a header from a corner-kick in first half stoppage time. Davies' recurring shoulder problems prompted an operation in September 2009, forcing the player out of the side for a few months. During his absence, Villa brought in defenders James Collins
from West Ham United
and Richard Dunne
from Manchester City
. He made his return to action following the operation as a second half substitute in the FA Cup
match against Brighton & Hove Albion on 23 January, replacing Stephen Warnock
.
After struggling to work his way back in to the team, media speculation began to link Davies with a loan move to Scottish Premier League
side Celtic
. However, Villa manager Martin O'Neill
was quick to deny these rumours.
On 15 October Davies joined Leicester City
on a month's loan deal. On 10 November, Davies extended his loan at the club, seeing him stay at Leicester until January 2011. He returned to Aston Villa on 3 January 2011.
on a three-and-a-half-year contract for a undisclosed fee. He was given the squad number 32. 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
. 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
. 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.
debut on 28 February 2006, against Norway U21s
. He was named in Fabio Capello
's first provisional England
squad. Davies initially expressed shock at the news of his call-up. He has since been named in other England squads but has yet to make his full debut.
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. Davies has previously played for Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, where he began his career, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
.
Early career
Davies was born in LeytonstoneLeytonstone
Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
, to an English mother and a Sierra Leonean Creole father. He started his career with Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, 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
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
asking for a trial. Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
responded first, two weeks before any other club, and a trial was offered; after a couple of trial matches he was released. Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
were next club 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 full 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
Wrexham A.F.C.
Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...
. Davies was named League One Player of the Year for that season, as well as winning the Luton Town Young Player of the Year award. He also made the League One PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
Team of the Year for 2004–05, alongside five of his teammates.
The next season Davies only managed six games, and a goal in his final game at home to Millwall before his impressive displays saw him signed by then-Premier League side West Bromwich Albion on 31 August 2005 for a fee of £3 million.
West Bromwich Albion
Davies had an impressive first season for West Brom, making 35 starts and scoring two goals. However, he was unable to stop West Brom being relegated. On 28 July 2006 he pledged his future to West Brom, by signing a new four-year deal.In 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
Davies became West Brom captain on a permanent basis, having worn the armband on several occasions during the previous season. He became Albion's second youngest captain of all time. He received his first-ever red card against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
on 17 February 2007 after receiving two yellow cards for challenges on Boro striker Mark Viduka
Mark Viduka
Mark Anthony Viduka is a former Australian soccer player who played as a centre forward. He captained the Australian national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to the last 16.-Melbourne Croatia:...
. On 14 March, Davies broke his fifth metatarsal bone in the Baggies' game against Crystal Palace, ruling him out for the rest of the season. This made him unavailable for selection for the first ever game at the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, where he was expected to have appeared for the England Under-21s. Davies was named in the PFA Championship team of the year for 2006–07.
On 21 June, Davies had a transfer request rejected by West Brom. Davies subsequently handed in two further transfer requests, both of which were rejected. On 30 August 2007, Albion announced that they had given permission for Davies to speak to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
regarding a possible move.
2007–2008
On 31 August 2007, Davies signed for Aston Villa on a season long loan, with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer of 2008. He made his Villa debut in a 1–0 League CupFootball League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
defeat to Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on 27 September 2007. He compared his performance to that of a pub team player saying:
Davies made his Premier League debut with Villa in the 2–0 home victory against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
on 3 November. He scored on his first Premier League start in a 2–1 away victory at Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 29 December 2007. He then became a regular in Aston Villa's back four at the expense of Zat Knight
Zat Knight
Zatyiah "Zat" Knight is an English footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League. Knight has two caps for England.-Club career:-Fulham:Fulham signed Knight from Rushall Olympic on a free transfer in 1999...
.
On 1 March 2008 Davies suffered a season ending ruptured achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in a 1–1 draw and was thought to be out for around six months. But he surprised doctors by making a remarkable comeback much sooner than expected. He played 60 minutes in a behind-closed doors friendly against Notts County at Villa's training ground, and then 62 minutes in another friendly against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
at the Madjeski Stadium, a game that ended with a 1–1 draw.
2008–2009
His move to Villa was made permanent on 3 July 2008, with Davies signing a four-year contract. The fee was undisclosed but has been quoted variously at between £8–10 million.Davies captained Aston Villa for the first time on 6 November 2008, in the 1–0 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
win against Slavia Prague, with regular captain Martin Laursen
Martin Laursen
Martin Laursen is a Danish former footballer who played in the centre back position. He played three seasons for Italian club AC Milan, with whom he won the 2003 UEFA Champions League and the 2004 Serie A championship. He also played for Italian clubs Hellas Verona and Parma FC, and was the team...
on the substitutes' bench. He netted his first goal of the 2008–09 season in January 2009, helping his team to a 2–1 win against his former club West Bromwich Albion.
2009–2010
Davies started in the team's first game at home against Wigan Athletic in the opening day of the season. The team lost 2–0 at Villa ParkVilla Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
in a very disappointing and unsuccessful game with goals from Hugo Rodallega
Hugo Rodallega
Hugo Rodallega Martínez is a Colombian footballer who plays for English Premier League club Wigan Athletic. He primarily plays as a striker, but can also play on the wing....
and Jason Koumas
Jason Koumas
Jason Koumas is a Welsh professional footballer who is currently a free agent after being released by Wigan Athletic. Formerly of Tranmere Rovers, Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion, he is a former Welsh international...
. However the team's next league game was away at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, Davies scored the second goal of the game with a header from a corner-kick in first half stoppage time. Davies' recurring shoulder problems prompted an operation in September 2009, forcing the player out of the side for a few months. During his absence, Villa brought in defenders James Collins
James Collins (footballer)
James Michael Collins is a Welsh footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Wales national football team.-Cardiff City:...
from West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Richard Dunne
Richard Dunne
Richard Patrick Dunne is an Irish footballer who plays as a defender for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he was a member of the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad and helped his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012.Dunne began his professional career at Everton...
from Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. He made his return to action following the operation as a second half substitute in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match against Brighton & Hove Albion on 23 January, replacing Stephen Warnock
Stephen Warnock
Stephen Warnock is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a left-back.He has been capped by England twice and was part of the nation's squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup...
.
After struggling to work his way back in to the team, media speculation began to link Davies with a loan move to Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. However, Villa manager Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
was quick to deny these rumours.
2010–2011
In August 2010, O'Neill resigned from his position at the club. Following this, Davies told journalists that he felt that O'Neill had not given him a fair chance during his spell at the club, and that he hoped that a new manager would give every member of the squad a clean slate.Leicester City loan
On 15 October Davies joined Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on a month's loan deal. On 10 November, Davies extended his loan at the club, seeing him stay at Leicester until January 2011. He returned to Aston Villa on 3 January 2011.
Birmingham City
On 28 January 2011, Davies signed for rivals Birmingham CityBirmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
on a three-and-a-half-year contract for a undisclosed fee. He was given the squad number 32. 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
Martin Jiránek
Martin Jiránek is a Czech international footballer who plays for Russian Premier League club FC Terek Grozny. A defender, Jiránek has played in the top division of several countries.-Spartak Moscow:...
. His first goal for the club came when he opened the scoring with a header from a Jordon Mutch
Jordon Mutch
Jordon James Edward Sydney Mutch is an English footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He plays as a midfielder. Mutch made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the League Cup in August 2008, and made his debut in the Football League while on loan to Hereford United, spending subsequent loan...
corner on 6 August 2011 as Birmingham went on to lose 2–1 at Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. 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
Mateus Galiano da Costa
Mateus Galiano da Costa , simply Mateus, is an Angolan footballer who plays for C.D. Nacional in the Portuguese first division, as a forward.-Club career:...
opening the scoring.
International career
Davies made his England under-21England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
debut on 28 February 2006, against Norway U21s
Norway national under-21 football team
The Norwegian national under-21 football team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, is the national football team of Norway for players of 21 years of age or under at the start of a UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship campaign...
. He was named in Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
's first provisional England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
squad. Davies initially expressed shock at the news of his call-up. He has since been named in other England squads but has yet to make his full debut.