Steven Davis
Encyclopedia
Steven Davis is a Northern Irish association footballer who currently plays for 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...

 club Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 and the Northern Ireland national team. Davis made his full international debut in 2005 and has since been capped 49 times at senior level, scoring three goals.

Davis began his career with Premier League side 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 made his first appearance for the club in 2004 against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

. Davis was named "Young Player of the Year", "The Fans Player of the Year" and "Player of the Year" for season 2005-06 after making 42 appearances during the season. Davis was sold to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 for £4million in the summer of 2007. He fell out of favour after then manager Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrence Philip "Lawrie" Sanchez is a former Northern Irish football manager, and a former player. He is currently the manager of League Two side Barnet...

 left the club and was loaned to Scottish side Rangers in January 2008 for an initial six months. He was part of the side that reached the 2008 UEFA Cup final
2008 UEFA Cup Final
The 2008 UEFA Cup Final was the 37th final of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The match was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, home ground of Manchester City F.C., in Manchester, England, at 20:45 CEST on 14 May 2008.The match was contested by Zenit St. Petersburg...

 and that won the League Cup
2008 Scottish League Cup Final
-Statistics:-References:...

 and Scottish Cup
2008 Scottish Cup Final
The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...

. The move was made permanent in the summer of 2008 for £3million. As of the end of season 2010-11, Davis has made over 160 appearances for the Glasgow club, winning three consecutive league titles in 2009
2008-09 in Scottish football
The 2008–09 season was the 112th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Hamilton Academical competed in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first season in the top-flight since the 1988–89 season, after being promoted as First Division champions the...

, 2010
2009–10 in Scottish football
The 2009–10 season was the 113th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* St. Johnstone are competing in the Scottish Premier League for the fifth time, their last season in the top-flight since the 2001–02 season, after being promoted as First Division champions last...

 and 2011
2010–11 in Scottish football
The 2010–11 season is the 114th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Rangers won the SPL title, pipping rivals Celtic on the final day of the season, their third title in a row and their 54th Scottish league championship...

, two Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...

s and three League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...

s.

Aston Villa

Davis, who was born in Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, started his career at St Andrews Boys Club before transferring 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...

 in 2002. He was a member of the 2002 FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...

 winning team that beat Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

 4–2 in the final. His first professional appearance was on 18 September 2004, he was a 57 minute replacement for Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Albino "Nobby" Solano Todco is a Peruvian footballer who plays for Hartlepool United. He has spent much of his career in the English Premier League and also played 95 times for Peru between 1994 and 2009...

 in a Premier League match against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

.

By October 2005 he was a regular for the club and missed only one game for Villa in the 2005/06 season. Davis was named Villa's "Young Player of the Year", "The Fans Player of the Year" and "Player of the Year" for 2005/06. His form prompted the Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrence Philip "Lawrie" Sanchez is a former Northern Irish football manager, and a former player. He is currently the manager of League Two side Barnet...

, to state that Davis could be "another Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...

". Davis made 102 appearances for Villa and scored nine times.

Fulham

In the summer of 2007 Davis followed team-mate Aaron Hughes
Aaron Hughes
Aaron William Hughes is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Fulham. Hughes is able to play centre back, right back or left back, as well as anywhere in midfield. He is usually deployed in a centre half position for his club and country, and is the current Northern Ireland captain...

 to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 on 5 July 2007 to team up with international manager Lawrie Sanchez, for a fee of around £4 million. He made his Fulham debut 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 12 August 2007 and made 22 appearances for Fulham before his dream move to Rangers..

Rangers

On 31 January 2008 Davis was signed on a six-month loan deal by Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

, the club he supported as a boy. Davis made his Rangers debut against Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...

 in the 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...

 on 13 February. He scored his first goal, again in European competition, against German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 side Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...

. Davis scored for Rangers in the penalty shootout against Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...

 that won Rangers the League Cup
2008 Scottish League Cup Final
-Statistics:-References:...

. He also helped the team reach the 2008 UEFA Cup Final
2008 UEFA Cup Final
The 2008 UEFA Cup Final was the 37th final of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The match was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, home ground of Manchester City F.C., in Manchester, England, at 20:45 CEST on 14 May 2008.The match was contested by Zenit St. Petersburg...

 and won the Scottish Cup
2008 Scottish Cup Final
The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...

 in May.

On 21 August 2008, Davis made his move from Fulham permanent in a deal worth £3m, signing a four-year contract. He made his first appearance of the season for Rangers against Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

 during a 1–1 draw the day after he permanently signed. He scored his first goal for Rangers, since his move became permanent, against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...

. On 9 May 2009, Davis scored the only goal in the final Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...

 derby of the season to take Rangers to the top of the SPL by two points. Davis won the SPL title and Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...

 with Rangers in the 2008–09 season.

Davis began his goalscoring in the 2009–10 season against St. Mirren on 27 January. He continued his goalscoring form against Falkirk in the next game curling a free kick into Robert Olejnik's top right hand corner. Davis's performances in January 2010 earned him the SPL player of the month award. Davis was named SPFA Players' Player of the Year on 2 May 2010 and won the SPL and League cup each for the second time.

Davis scored his first goal of the 2010-11 season against Motherwell at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...

 in October 2010, when he collected the ball 30 yards from goal before striking it into the top corner. The goal drew comparisons to former Rangers favourite Ian Durrant
Ian Durrant
Ian Durrant is a former Scottish professional footballer who played for Rangers, Kilmarnock and the Scotland national team...

. Davis followed this up by scoring the winning goal in the match against Inverness at Ibrox in January 2011. In the 2011 Scottish League Cup Final
2011 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2011 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Scottish League Cup, the 64th season of the Scottish League Cup. It was played by Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers. Rangers won the trophy after extra time 2–1.-Celtic:...

 against 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...

 Davis opened the scoring in a match which Rangers won 2-1 after extra time. This was the third time Davis had won the Scottish League Cup. Davis scored in back to back games in the 2011 title run in against Motherwell and then Hearts before playing his 54th and final game of the season in a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock as Rangers won their 3rd consecutive SPL championship.

On July 19 2011, Davis signed a new five-year contract with Rangers. Davis was made Rangers temporary captain with the absence of formal club captain David Weir for the first part of the 2011-12 season. Davis scored his first goal of season 2011-12 in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Ibrox in August. In the first old firm match of the 2011-12 season Davis provided two assists in the game as Rangers beat Celtic 4-2. After Rangers beat Dunfermline 4-0 at East End Park Rangers manager Ally McCoist praised Davis's performance by saying "It was a captain's performance from the best player on the park." For his performances during September 2011 Davis received the SPL player of the month award.

International career

Davis made his full international debut on 9 February 2005 in a 1–0 loss to Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

, and made the assist in 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...

's famous 1–0 victory over England in a 2006 World Cup qualification match. Davis' first goal came against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

 in a 3–2 defeat. He was also part of the side who beat Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

 3–2 at Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...

 in September 2006.

On 21 May 2006 he became Northern Ireland's youngest modern day captain against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, unfortunately his tenure as captain got off to a losing start, as the team lost 1–0.

International goals

Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 8 October 2005 Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...

, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 
2–2 2–3 2006 World Cup qualifying
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

2 15 October 2008 Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...

, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 
4–0 4–0 2010 World Cup qualifying
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 3
The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 3 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised the Czech Republic, Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia and San Marino....

3 10 August 2011 Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...

, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 
4-0 4-0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C
This page shows the standings and results for Group C of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group C fixtures were negotiated between the participants in a meeting held in Belgrade on 8 March 2010.----...

4 7 October 2011 Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...

, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 
1-0 1-2 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C
This page shows the standings and results for Group C of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group C fixtures were negotiated between the participants in a meeting held in Belgrade on 8 March 2010.----...


Career statistics

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
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...

2004–05 28 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 29 1
2005–06 35 4 4 2 3 2 0 0 42 8
2006–07 28 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 31 0
Total 9155262001029
Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

2007–08 22 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 25 0
Total 220102000250
Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

2007–08 12 0 4 0 1 0 9 1 26 1
2008–09 34 6 5 1 4 0 0 0 43 7
2009–10
Rangers F.C. season 2009–10
The 2009–10 season is the 113th season of competitive football by Rangers.-Overview:Rangers played a total of 54 competitive matches during the 2009-10 season. A quiet summer in terms of transfer arrivals contrasted to the outgoings. The club removed eleven players who had made first team...

36 3 5 0 3 1 6 0 50 4
2010–11 37 4 3 0 3 1 10 0 53 5
2011–12 16 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 21 1
Total 1351417112229119318
Career total 248 19 23 3 20 4 29 1 320 27

Honours

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...

  • FA Youth Cup
    FA Youth Cup
    The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...

    : 2002

Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

  • 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...

     (3): 2009
    Scottish Premier League 2008-09
    The 2008–09 Scottish Premier League season was the eleventh season of the Scottish Premier League and the second season under the sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank...

    , 2010, 2011
    2010–11 Scottish Premier League
    The 2010–11 Scottish Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football. It commenced on 14 August 2010 and ended on 15 May 2011...

  • Scottish Cup
    Scottish Cup
    The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...

     (2): 2008
    2008 Scottish Cup Final
    The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...

    , 2009
    2009 Scottish Cup Final
    The 2009 Scottish Cup Final was the final of the 124th season of the main domestic football cup competition in Scotland, the Scottish Cup. The final was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 30 May 2009...

  • Scottish League Cup
    Scottish League Cup
    The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...

     (3): 2008
    2008 Scottish League Cup Final
    -Statistics:-References:...

    , 2010
    2010 Scottish League Cup Final
    The 2010 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Scottish League Cup, the 63rd season of the Scottish League Cup.-St. Mirren:...

    , 2011
    2011 Scottish League Cup Final
    The 2011 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Scottish League Cup, the 64th season of the Scottish League Cup. It was played by Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers. Rangers won the trophy after extra time 2–1.-Celtic:...


Personal awards
  • SPFA Players' Player of the Year (1) : 2010
  • Scottish Premier League Player of the Month (2): January 2010, September 2011

External links

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