Curtis Davies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Curtis Davies

Davies playing for Hull City in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Curtis Eugene Davies
Date of birth	(1985-03-15) 15 March 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Leytonstone, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Centre-back
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)
2013–2017	Hull City	123	(4)
2017–2023	Derby County	164	(5)
2023–2024	Cheltenham Town	37	(1)
Total		595	(28)
International career
2006–2007	England U21	3	(0)
2023–2024	Sierra Leone	3	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Curtis Eugene Davies (born 15 March 1985) is a former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position. Curtis was born in England. He later played for the Sierra Leone national team.

Davies started his career at Luton Town in 2003. He then moved to Premier League team West Bromwich Albion in 2005. In 2007, he joined Aston Villa on loan, making the move permanent in 2008. After some injuries, Davies played for Leicester City on loan in 2010. He then joined Birmingham City in 2011.

He signed with Hull City in 2013. Later, he moved to Derby County in 2017. Curtis left Derby in 2023 and joined Cheltenham Town. He announced his retirement from football in 2024. Davies played three times for the England under-21s. He was called up to the senior England team but did not play. In 2023, he chose to play for Sierra Leone, where he earned 3 caps and scored one goal.

Curtis Davies' Football Journey

Early Days and Luton Town

Curtis Davies began his football journey at Wimbledon. He was a trainee there but was released when he was 16. He then wrote to many local clubs asking for a trial. Luton Town gave him a chance. He scored two goals in three trial matches and was offered a scholarship.

Davies made his first professional appearance for Luton in November 2003. This was in a Football League Trophy match. In the 2004–05 season, he played in 44 league matches. He scored his first goal in a game that helped Luton win the League One title. He was named Luton Town's Young Player of the Year. He also won the League One Player of the Year award. Davies was chosen for the League One PFA Team of the Year.

He played only six matches for Luton the next season. In August 2005, he moved to Premier League club West Bromwich Albion. The transfer fee was £3 million.

Time at West Bromwich Albion

Davies played 35 games and scored two goals in his first season with West Brom. The club was relegated to the Championship that year. In July 2006, he signed a new four-year contract. He became the team captain permanently. He was one of the youngest captains in the club's history.

In February 2007, he received two yellow cards and was sent off. A month later, he broke a bone in his foot. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. Despite this, he was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for 2006–07.

In June 2007, Davies asked to leave West Brom. The club did not want him to go unless their price was met. On 30 August, West Brom allowed him to talk to Aston Villa.

Playing for Aston Villa

Loan Spell and Permanent Move

Davies pictured in 2007

On 31 August 2007, Davies joined Aston Villa on loan. The plan was for him to join permanently in 2008. He made his Villa debut in a League Cup match in September. He later said his performance was "awful".

Davies played his first Premier League game for Villa in November. He scored in his first Premier League start in December. He then became a regular player in Villa's defense. In March 2008, he suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury. This meant he would be out for at least six months.

Davies signed a four-year contract with Aston Villa in July 2008. The transfer fee was reported to be between £8 million and £11 million. He recovered faster than expected. He was fit to play in a UEFA Cup match in August. He captained Aston Villa for the first time in November 2008. He scored his first goal of the season in January 2009 against his old club, West Brom. He chose not to celebrate out of respect.

Injuries and Loan to Leicester

Davies before an Aston Villa match in 2008

Davies started the 2009–10 season. He scored a goal against Liverpool in August. However, he needed surgery for recurring shoulder problems in September. While he was out, Villa signed new defenders. He returned to play in an FA Cup match in January 2010. He did not make any more first-team appearances that season.

In the summer of 2010, Davies was put on the transfer list. He felt he had not been given a fair chance by the manager. In October, he joined Leicester City on a month's loan. This was his first league match in a year. The loan was extended until January 2011.

Joining Birmingham City

Davies with Birmingham City in 2011

On 28 January 2011, Davies signed for Birmingham City. This was a three-and-a-half-year contract. He could not play in the 2011 League Cup Final because he had already played in the competition for another team. He made his debut for Birmingham in March. In August 2011, he scored his first goal for the club. He also played in Birmingham's first major European match in almost 50 years.

Time at Hull City

On 25 June 2013, Davies moved to Hull City. They had just been promoted to the Premier League. He signed a three-year contract. He made his debut on the first day of the 2013–14 season. He scored his first goal for Hull on 14 September. In May 2014, he was voted Hull City's Player of the Year. He played in the 2014 FA Cup Final against Arsenal. He scored to put his team 2–0 up, but Hull lost 3–2. In March 2016, Davies signed a two-year extension to his contract.

Playing for Derby County

On 7 June 2017, Davies signed a two-year contract with Derby County. He was a regular player in his first season. In 2018–19, he had a hamstring problem. Later, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. This kept him out for the second half of the season. In September 2019, he regained his starting place and the captaincy. This happened after a teammate was injured.

At the end of the 2020–21 season, Davies was offered a new contract. He left the club in July 2021. However, he rejoined Derby in August 2021. This was allowed under new rules for out-of-contract players. He was a favorite among Derby fans. He played every minute of Derby's 2021–22 Championship season. In July 2022, he signed a one-year deal to stay until 2023.

Davies was named club captain for the 2022–23 League One season. He struggled with injuries early on. He lost his starting spot for a while. However, he won his place back with four games left in the season. Derby needed a win or a draw in the final game to reach the play-offs. In that game, Davies was given a red card and a penalty was awarded against Derby. This led to Derby losing the game and missing out on the play-offs. On 10 May 2023, Derby announced that Davies would be released. He had made 175 appearances for the club.

Final Club: Cheltenham Town

On 27 June 2023, Davies signed a one-year deal with Cheltenham Town. This club also plays in League One. On 30 April 2024, Cheltenham Town announced that Davies would be leaving the club. On 2 August 2024, he announced his retirement as a player.

International Career

Curtis Davies made his England under-21 debut in February 2006. He played three times for the England under-21 team. He was called up to the senior England squad several times. However, he never played in a full international match for England.

Davies was also eligible to play for Republic of Ireland through his grandparents. However, he later clarified that he had no Irish heritage. He said he would prefer to play for Sierra Leone, his father's country, if he did not get to play for England.

In October 2023, at 38 years old, Davies was called up to the Sierra Leone national team. He played in friendly matches against Benin and Somalia. On 5 June 2024, Davies scored his first international goal. This was in a 2–1 win against Djibouti in a World Cup qualification match.

Personal Life

Curtis Davies was born in Leytonstone, London. His mother is English, and his father is from Sierra Leone.

He is married and has two daughters. He supports Saving Lives, a charity that helps people learn about HIV. Along with two other footballers, Davies helped start a clothing company. In June 2020, Davies earned a first-class honors degree. He studied professional sports writing and broadcasting.

Punditry

Since the 2018–19 season, Davies has worked as a pundit. He appears on Quest's coverage of the English Football League.

Career Statistics

International

As of match played 5 June 2024

Sierra Leone score listed first, score column indicates score after each Davies goal.

List of international goals scored by Curtis Davies

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	5 June 2024	Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium, El Jadida, Morocco	2	Djibouti	1–0	2–1	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours and Awards

Luton Town

• Football League One: 2004–05 (Champions)

Hull City

• Football League Championship play-offs: 2016 (Promoted)
• FA Cup runner-up: 2013–14

Individual Awards

• Luton Town Young Player of the Year: 2004–05
• Birmingham City Player of the Year: 2012–13
• Hull City Player of the Year: 2013–14
• Derby County Player of the Year: 2021–22
• Football League One Player of the Year: 2004–05
• PFA Team of the Year: 2004–05 League One, 2006–07 Championship, 2011–12 Championship

See also

In Spanish: Curtis Davies para niños