Mark Davies
Encyclopedia
Mark Nicholas Davies is an English
footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers
in the Premier League.
, Davies was a former student of Pool Hayes Community School
in Willenhall
. He joined Wolves
Youth Academy at the age of nine. He signed his first professional contract at Wolves in February 2005, aged 17.
In the 2005–06 season, Davies broke into the Wolves first team under then manager Glenn Hoddle
, making his league debut as a substitute against Leeds United on 20 August 2005, losing the game 2–0 at Elland Road
. He made his first league start for Wolves against Watford
on 20 September 2005, losing the game 2–1. Davies scored his first professional league goal against Luton Town on 13 January 2006, winning the game 2–1 at Molineux
.
He went on to frequently feature for Wolves throughout the season, and becoming a vital member of the team, making 20 appearances for Wolves in his first season. Former Wolves Academy manager Chris Evans
said Davies was the best prospect to come out the youth system since players Robbie Keane
and Joleon Lescott
.
The start of the 2006–07 season was a blow to Davies as he suffered a cartilage problem in pre-season. However he returned to fitness in January 2007, making 10 substitute appearances for Wolves
, and also went on to feature for the England U-19’s
.
In the 2007–08 season, Davies picked up a shoulder injury and other niggling injuries which kept him out for the whole season, limiting him to only a few reserve outings.
The 2008–09 season started brightly for Davies as he had a successful pre-season for Wolves. His first and final game for Wolves ended with him coming off the bench to assist and score the winning goal against Accrington Stanley
in the Carling Cup, winning the game 3–2 at Molineux
. This was Davies last appearance for Wolves as on 27 November 2008 he joined League One highflyers Leicester City
on a one month loan deal.
In late January 2009, Davies handed in a transfer request at Wolves. Wolves did offer him a new three-and-a-half year contract, but he declined the offer. Wolves went on to receive a bid from League One side Leicester City
, for around £650,000, but this was declined by the club. Wolves then later received another bid from Premier League side Bolton Wanderers
, believed to be in the region of £1m, rising to £2m, and accepted the offer, with Wolves adding a hefty sell on clause in part of the deal. Davies went on to sign for Bolton Wanderers
on 26 January 2009, ending his ten year stay with the club.
on a one month loan deal in order to gain full match fitness after almost two years on the sidelines. He made his debut for Leicester as a substitute against Southend
on 6 December 2009, winning the game 3–0 at the Walkers Stadium
. He made his first start for Leicester against Peterborough
on 20 December 2008, thrashing them 4–0 at the Walkers Stadium
. He went on to score 2 goals for his new club. His first league goal came against Leyton Orient
, winning the game 3–0 on 10 January 2009 at the Walkers Stadium
. Davies impressed during his short loan spell, causing Leicester to extend it to 1 February 2009.
on a four-and-a-half-year contract, for an undisclosed fee. He extended his contract by another year on 15 February 2011. He made his debut two days after signing when he came on as a substitute in the 2–2 draw with local rivals Blackburn Rovers
at Ewood Park
. He made his first start for his new club three days later against Tottenham
on the 31 January 2009, winning the game 3–2 at the Reebok Stadium
. He scored his first goal for Bolton at the start of the 2009–10 season, in the Carling Cup against Tranmere Rovers on the 25 August 2009, winning the game 1–0. He scored his second goal for the club in the FA Cup
against Lincoln City
on 2 January 2010, winning the game 4–0 at the Reebok Stadium
. Davies scored his first league goal for Bolton against Blackpool
on 27 November 2010, earning his side a 2–2 draw at the Reebok Stadium
. This goal was voted the club's goal of the 2010–11 season at the official Player of the Year dinner, beating Johan Elmander
's individual effort against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
in the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
in 2004. He scored 2 goals for his country, his first against Portugal
in the group stages, and his second against Portugal
in the Third-Place Play-Off, drawing the game 4–4, but losing on penalties. Davies captained the England U17's
team in the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Qualifier against Northern Ireland
at Molineux
in March 2005. He also went on to represent the England U17's
in the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
in May 2005, but they did not make it out of the group stages.
Davies was called up to the England U21
squad to face Ecuador
on 16 February 2010, but had to pull out due to the ankle injury he picked up against Arsenal
. On 14 March 2011, Davies received his second call up to the England Under 21's., but pulled out due to injury. He received a third call up, for the England Under 21 Championships provisional squad, but once again pulled out due to the same injury from his second call up and was replaced by Liverpool
's Jay Spearing
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the Premier League.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Born in WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, Davies was a former student of Pool Hayes Community School
Pool Hayes Arts and Community School
Pool Hayes Arts and Community School is one of the biggest secondary schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.It is located on Castle Drive in the Pool Hayes suburb of Willenhall which is part of Walsall Borough in the West Midlands...
in Willenhall
Willenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
. He joined Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
Youth Academy at the age of nine. He signed his first professional contract at Wolves in February 2005, aged 17.
In the 2005–06 season, Davies broke into the Wolves first team under then manager Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
, making his league debut as a substitute against Leeds United on 20 August 2005, losing the game 2–0 at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
. He made his first league start for Wolves against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on 20 September 2005, losing the game 2–1. Davies scored his first professional league goal against Luton Town on 13 January 2006, winning the game 2–1 at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
.
He went on to frequently feature for Wolves throughout the season, and becoming a vital member of the team, making 20 appearances for Wolves in his first season. Former Wolves Academy manager Chris Evans
Chris Evans (footballer)
Christopher Brian "Chris" Evans is a Welsh former footballer who is assistant manager at Sheffield Wednesday.Evans started his career at Arsenal, before joining Stoke City in 1981. After failing to make any appearances he joined York City in 1982, where he made over 100 appearances. He joined...
said Davies was the best prospect to come out the youth system since players Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
and Joleon Lescott
Joleon Lescott
Joleon Patrick Lescott is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester City. He plays as a centre-back, though he has played in various other positions across the defensive line, in particular left-back....
.
The start of the 2006–07 season was a blow to Davies as he suffered a cartilage problem in pre-season. However he returned to fitness in January 2007, making 10 substitute appearances for Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, and also went on to feature for the England U-19’s
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
.
In the 2007–08 season, Davies picked up a shoulder injury and other niggling injuries which kept him out for the whole season, limiting him to only a few reserve outings.
The 2008–09 season started brightly for Davies as he had a successful pre-season for Wolves. His first and final game for Wolves ended with him coming off the bench to assist and score the winning goal against Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
in the Carling Cup, winning the game 3–2 at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
. This was Davies last appearance for Wolves as on 27 November 2008 he joined League One highflyers 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 one month loan deal.
In late January 2009, Davies handed in a transfer request at Wolves. Wolves did offer him a new three-and-a-half year contract, but he declined the offer. Wolves went on to receive a bid from League One side 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...
, for around £650,000, but this was declined by the club. Wolves then later received another bid from Premier League side Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, believed to be in the region of £1m, rising to £2m, and accepted the offer, with Wolves adding a hefty sell on clause in part of the deal. Davies went on to sign for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 26 January 2009, ending his ten year stay with the club.
Loan spell at Leicester City
On 27 November 2008, Davies joined League One side Leicester CityLeicester 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 one month loan deal in order to gain full match fitness after almost two years on the sidelines. He made his debut for Leicester as a substitute against Southend
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
on 6 December 2009, winning the game 3–0 at the Walkers Stadium
Walkers Stadium
The King Power Stadium is a football stadium which hosts home matches of English football club Leicester City. The all-seater stadium, inaugurated in July 2002, holds 32,500 and has the 19th largest stadium capacity in England. The stadium is named after King Power, a company owned by club owner...
. He made his first start for Leicester against Peterborough
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on 20 December 2008, thrashing them 4–0 at the Walkers Stadium
Walkers Stadium
The King Power Stadium is a football stadium which hosts home matches of English football club Leicester City. The all-seater stadium, inaugurated in July 2002, holds 32,500 and has the 19th largest stadium capacity in England. The stadium is named after King Power, a company owned by club owner...
. He went on to score 2 goals for his new club. His first league goal came against Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
, winning the game 3–0 on 10 January 2009 at the Walkers Stadium
Walkers Stadium
The King Power Stadium is a football stadium which hosts home matches of English football club Leicester City. The all-seater stadium, inaugurated in July 2002, holds 32,500 and has the 19th largest stadium capacity in England. The stadium is named after King Power, a company owned by club owner...
. Davies impressed during his short loan spell, causing Leicester to extend it to 1 February 2009.
Bolton Wanderers
On 26 January 2009, Davies joined Premier League side Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on a four-and-a-half-year contract, for an undisclosed fee. He extended his contract by another year on 15 February 2011. He made his debut two days after signing when he came on as a substitute in the 2–2 draw with local rivals Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
. He made his first start for his new club three days later against Tottenham
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....
on the 31 January 2009, winning the game 3–2 at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
. He scored his first goal for Bolton at the start of the 2009–10 season, in the Carling Cup against Tranmere Rovers on the 25 August 2009, winning the game 1–0. He scored his second goal for the club 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...
against Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
on 2 January 2010, winning the game 4–0 at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
. Davies scored his first league goal for Bolton against Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on 27 November 2010, earning his side a 2–2 draw at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
. This goal was voted the club's goal of the 2010–11 season at the official Player of the Year dinner, beating Johan Elmander
Johan Elmander
Johan Erik Calvin Elmander is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Sweden national football team. He joined in a free transfer after his contract with English club Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League expired...
's individual effort against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Youth Teams
Davies represented England U17'sEngland national under-17 football team
-Elite Qualifying Group 3:-Group stage:-Fifth place play-off:-FA International U17 Tournament:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round....
in the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Semifinals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
in 2004. He scored 2 goals for his country, his first against Portugal
Portugal national under-17 football team
The Portugal national under-17 football team represents Portugal in international football at this age level and is controlled by Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, the governing body for football in Portugal.-FIFA U-17 World Cup Championship Record:...
in the group stages, and his second against Portugal
Portugal national under-17 football team
The Portugal national under-17 football team represents Portugal in international football at this age level and is controlled by Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, the governing body for football in Portugal.-FIFA U-17 World Cup Championship Record:...
in the Third-Place Play-Off, drawing the game 4–4, but losing on penalties. Davies captained the England U17's
England national under-17 football team
-Elite Qualifying Group 3:-Group stage:-Fifth place play-off:-FA International U17 Tournament:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round....
team in the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Qualifier against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
in March 2005. He also went on to represent the England U17's
England national under-17 football team
-Elite Qualifying Group 3:-Group stage:-Fifth place play-off:-FA International U17 Tournament:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round....
in the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
2005 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
The 2005 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship was the fourth edition of UEFA's European Under-17 Football Championship. Italy hosted the championship, during May 3-14...
in May 2005, but they did not make it out of the group stages.
Davies was called up to the England U21
England 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....
squad to face Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
on 16 February 2010, but had to pull out due to the ankle injury he picked up 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...
. On 14 March 2011, Davies received his second call up to the England Under 21's., but pulled out due to injury. He received a third call up, for the England Under 21 Championships provisional squad, but once again pulled out due to the same injury from his second call up and was replaced by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
's Jay Spearing
Jay Spearing
Jay Francis Spearing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool as a Defensive midfielder. He was originally spotted playing for amateur Wallasey side Greenleas alongside former Liverpool professional Craig Lindfield....
.