Curtis Davies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Curtis Davies

Davies playing for Hull City in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth	(1985-03-15) 15 March 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Leytonstone, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position	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)
National team
2006–2007	England U21	3	(0)
2023–2024	Sierra Leone	3	(1)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Curtis Eugene Davies (born 15 March 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. A centre-back is a defender who plays in the middle of the field. Their main job is to stop opposing players from scoring goals. Curtis was born in England, but he played for the Sierra Leone national team.

Davies started his football journey at Luton Town in 2003. Later, he moved to Premier League team West Bromwich Albion in 2005. He then joined Aston Villa on loan in 2007, making the move permanent in 2008. After some injuries, Davies played for Leicester City on loan in 2010. He then moved to Birmingham City in 2011. In 2013, he signed with Hull City, and in 2017, he joined Derby County. He left Derby in 2023 and played for Cheltenham Town before retiring from football in 2024. Curtis also played three times for the England under-21s. He was called up to the senior England team a few times but never played. In 2023, he chose to play for Sierra Leone, where he earned 3 caps and scored one goal.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Football

Curtis Davies began his football journey as a young player at Wimbledon. When he was 16, the club released him. This meant he had to find a new team. He wrote to many local clubs, asking for a chance to try out.

Colchester United was the first to offer him a trial. After a couple of games, they decided not to keep him. Next, Luton Town gave him a chance. During his trial there, he scored two goals in three matches. Because of this, Luton Town offered him a scholarship to join their youth team.

Playing for Luton Town

Davies made his first professional appearance for Luton in November 2003. This was in a cup match against Rushden & Diamonds. In the 2003–04 season, he played seven times for the first team.

The next season, 2004–05, was very successful for him. He played in 44 league matches and helped Luton win the League One title. He scored his first goal in the match that secured the title against Wrexham. Davies won the Young Player of the Year award for Luton Town. He was also named the League One Player of the Year. Plus, he was chosen for the League One PFA Team of the Year, along with five of his teammates.

In the next season, Davies played only six matches for Luton. He scored one goal in his final game for the club. On 31 August 2005, he moved to Premier League club West Bromwich Albion for £3 million.

Time at West Bromwich Albion

In his first season with Albion, Davies played 35 games and scored two goals. However, the club was relegated to the Championship at the end of the season. In July 2006, he signed a new four-year contract. He was also made team captain, becoming one of the youngest captains in the club's history.

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

In June, Davies asked to leave West Brom, but the club said no. He felt the price they were asking for him was too high. On 30 August, West Brom allowed him to talk to Aston Villa about a possible move.

Playing for Aston Villa

First Season (2007–08)

Davies pictured in 2007

On 31 August 2007, Davies joined Aston Villa on a loan deal for the season. The plan was to make the move permanent later. He played his first game for Villa on 27 September in a League Cup match against Leicester City. Villa lost 1–0. After the game, he was very honest about his performance. He said he played "awful" and felt like a "pub team player," meaning he thought he played very badly.

Davies made his first Premier League appearance for Villa on 3 November. This was in a 2–0 win against Derby County. He scored his first Premier League goal in December, helping Villa win 2–1 against Wigan Athletic. He then became a regular player in Villa's defense.

On 1 March 2008, Davies injured his Achilles tendon against Arsenal. This type of injury usually means a player is out for at least six months.

Becoming a Permanent Player (2008–09)

Davies before an Aston Villa match in 2008

Davies signed a four-year contract with Aston Villa on 3 July 2008, making his move permanent. The transfer fee was not announced, but reports said it was between £8 million and £11 million. His manager, Martin O'Neill, thought he would not be back until October or November. However, Davies was fit to play in Villa's UEFA Cup match on 14 August.

He captained Aston Villa for the first time on 6 November. This was in a 1–0 UEFA Cup win against Slavia Prague. He scored his first goal of the season in January 2009. This goal helped his team win 2–1 against his old club, West Bromwich Albion. Davies chose not to celebrate his goal out of respect for his former team.

Later Seasons at Villa (2009–11)

Davies started the 2009–10 season in a 2–0 loss at home. A week later, he scored Villa's second goal in a 3–1 win against Liverpool. He headed the ball into the net from a corner kick.

Davies then had surgery for recurring shoulder problems in September. While he was out, Villa brought in new defenders. He returned to play in an FA Cup match in January. His manager did not want him to go on loan to another club because Villa needed him. He did not play any more first-team games that season.

In the summer of 2010, Davies was put on the transfer list. This meant the club was willing to sell him. After manager Martin O'Neill left, Davies hoped a new manager would give him a fresh start. He played only twice before joining Leicester City on a one-month loan in October. This was his first league match in a year. The loan was extended until January 2011.

Moving to Birmingham City

Davies with Birmingham City in 2011

On 28 January 2011, Davies signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Birmingham City. The fee was not announced. He was given the number 32 shirt. Davies could not play in Birmingham's win in the 2011 League Cup Final because he had already played in the competition for another team.

He made his first game for Birmingham in March, in a 3–1 loss to West Bromwich Albion. His first goal for the club came on 6 August 2011. He scored with a header from a corner kick. This was in a match against Derby County, which Birmingham lost 2–1. Davies also played in Birmingham's first major European match in almost 50 years. He made a great tackle to stop an opponent from scoring.

Playing for Hull City

On 25 June 2013, Davies joined Hull City, a newly promoted Premier League club. He signed a three-year contract. Reports said the fee was about £2.25 million. He played his first game for Hull on the first day of the 2013–14 season. This was a 2–0 loss away at Chelsea.

He scored his first goal for Hull on 14 September against Cardiff City. He headed the ball into the net from a cross. On 7 May 2014, Davies was voted as Hull City's Player of the Year. On 17 May 2014, he played in the FA Cup Final against Arsenal. He scored to put his team 2–0 up, but Hull ended up losing 3–2. On 16 March 2016, Davies signed a two-year extension to his contract with the club.

Time at Derby County

On 7 June 2017, Davies signed a two-year contract with Derby County. Hull had been relegated from the Premier League. In his first season, Davies played in every game. However, in 2018–19, he struggled with injuries. He had a hamstring problem and then a ruptured Achilles tendon. This kept him out for the second half of the season.

In September 2019, Davies became captain again for the next match against Birmingham City. At the end of the 2020–21 season, Davies was offered a new contract but did not agree to it. He left the club on 1 July 2021. However, in August 2021, Davies rejoined Derby County. He played every minute of Derby's 2021–22 Championship season. Fans loved his performances, even though Derby was relegated. On 8 July 2022, Davies signed a new one-year deal to stay until 2023.

Davies was named club captain for the 2022–23 League One season. He struggled with injuries and lost his starting spot for a while. However, he won his place back with four games left in the season. Derby went unbeaten in the next three games. This meant they needed a win or a draw in the final game to make the play-offs. In that final game, Davies was given a red card and a penalty was awarded against Derby. This led to the only goal of the game, and Derby missed out on the play-offs. On 10 May 2023, Derby announced that Davies would be leaving the club. He had played 175 games for them over six years.

Joining Cheltenham Town and Retirement

On 27 June 2023, it was announced that Davies had signed a one-year deal with Cheltenham Town, another League One team.

On 30 April 2024, the club announced that Davies would be leaving at the end of the season. On 2 August 2024, he officially announced his retirement as a football player.

International Career

Curtis Davies made his debut for the England under-21 team on 28 February 2006. He played three times for the England under-21s between 2006 and 2007. He was also called up to the senior England squad several times. This happened in January 2008 and again in November of that year. However, he never actually played in a full international match for England.

Davies could also have played for the Republic of Ireland because of his grandparents. But he later found out he had no Irish family background. He said he would prefer to play for Sierra Leone, his father's home country, if he didn't 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 during 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. Curtis is also a supporter of Saving Lives. This is a charity that helps people learn about HIV and encourages them to get tested. He also helped start a clothing company called Seven One Zero.

In June 2020, Davies earned a first-class honors degree. He studied professional sports writing and broadcasting at Staffordshire University.

Punditry

Since the 2018–19 season, Curtis Davies has worked as a football expert, also known 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 (League Champions)

Hull City

• Football League Championship play-offs: 2016 (Promoted to Premier League)
• 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