1. Early Life and Youth Career
Alexander James Davey was born on 24 November 1994 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England. He began his football journey at a young age, developing his skills within a prominent youth system.
1.1. Chelsea Youth and Reserve Teams
Davey joined Chelsea at the age of ten, embarking on a significant period of his youth development within their renowned academy. During the 2010-11 season, as a schoolboy, he made his debut for the club's Under-18 team, making 12 appearances. In April 2011, he also made his debut for Chelsea's Reserves against Manchester United.
The 2011-12 season marked a significant achievement for Davey as he lifted the FA Youth Cup with Chelsea. He was highlighted by youth team manager Adi Viveash as a standout player in the second leg of the final. Following this success, Davey signed his first professional contract with Chelsea in July 2012.
In the subsequent 2012-13 season, Davey became one of only two players, alongside Lewis Baker, to feature in every game of both the NextGen Series and FA Youth Cup campaigns, where Chelsea reached the finals of both competitions. He also established himself as a regular in the heart of the Under-21 team's defense, often partnering Nathan Aké. That season, he made 17 appearances for the older age group, finishing as the player with the most appearances. In 2014, Chelsea won the inaugural Under-21 Premier League, with Davey contributing 14 appearances and scoring in a 4-1 victory against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium. Prior to his first loan move, Davey signed a new contract, extending his stay with Chelsea until the end of the 2016 season.
2. Club Career
Alexander Davey's professional career saw him move through various clubs, initially on loan from Chelsea, and later as a permanent player for several teams in England, the United States, and Iceland.
2.1. Chelsea
Despite being on a professional contract with Chelsea for several years, Alexander Davey did not make any first-team appearances for the club. His time under professional contract with Chelsea primarily involved developing his skills within the reserve setup and gaining crucial senior experience through a series of loan spells to other clubs.
2.1.1. Scunthorpe United (loan)
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On 26 November 2014, Davey joined League One side Scunthorpe United on loan, initially until 3 January 2015. His debut came three days later in a 2-1 away victory against Barnsley, where he played the full 90 minutes. His loan was later extended until 30 June 2015, covering the remainder of the season. On 17 December, he scored during a record-breaking FA Cup second-round penalty shootout, which Scunthorpe won 14-13 against Worcester City. His first senior goal came on 6 January 2015, in a 2-2 draw against Chesterfield in the following FA Cup round. During his loan spell, he made 13 league appearances.
2.1.2. Peterborough United (loan)
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On 8 August 2015, Davey moved to another League One club, Peterborough United, on a one-month loan. He made his debut on the same day in a 2-0 away defeat to Rochdale, playing the full 90 minutes. After impressing manager Dave Robertson, his loan was extended until 3 January 2016. He made 7 league appearances and 1 appearance in the Football League Trophy for the club.
2.1.3. Stabæk (loan)
On 15 March 2016, Davey joined Norwegian side Stabæk on loan until 22 July 2016. He made his Stabæk debut on 20 March 2016, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 home defeat to Molde. He went on to make four additional appearances for Stabæk before his loan was terminated by the club in early June 2016.
2.1.4. Crawley Town (loan)
On 12 August 2016, Davey joined League Two side Crawley Town on loan until 3 January 2017. He made his debut for Crawley Town a day later in a 1-1 draw against Doncaster Rovers, playing the full 90 minutes. After falling out of favor under manager Dermot Drummy, Crawley decided not to extend his loan deal. He returned to Chelsea in January 2017, alongside teammate Mitchell Beeney, having made 18 appearances in all competitions for Crawley Town.
2.2. Post-Chelsea Career
After his contract with Chelsea expired in June 2017, Alexander Davey announced his departure from the club on 17 May 2017. In July 2017, he went on trial with Coventry City but was unable to secure a contract with the Sky Blues.
2.2.1. Cheltenham Town
On 21 September 2017, Davey signed with League Two club Cheltenham Town. He made his debut for Cheltenham in an EFL Trophy group stage match against Forest Green Rovers in October 2017, playing the entire 90 minutes in a 2-1 home defeat. He did not make any league appearances for the club before moving on loan.
2.2.2. Torquay United (loan)
After his brief spell at Cheltenham Town without a league appearance, Davey joined National League side Torquay United on a loan deal until January 2018. He made his debut on the same day, 21 November 2017, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 away victory against Sutton United. Davey returned to Cheltenham on 1 January 2018 amid rumors of his departure from the club.
2.2.3. Boreham Wood
On 4 January 2018, following his loan at Torquay, Davey opted to join Boreham Wood in the National League. Two days later, he made his debut in a 0-0 draw against Leyton Orient, playing the full 90 minutes. On 20 January 2018, he scored his first goal for the club during a 3-2 defeat against Dover Athletic, striking in the 87th minute past goalkeeper Mitch Walker.
2.2.4. Dagenham & Redbridge
On 28 June 2018, Davey joined fellow National League side Dagenham & Redbridge on a one-year contract. In May 2019, it was announced that he would be released by the club following the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.
2.2.5. Hartford Athletic
On 12 July 2019, Davey signed with USL Championship side Hartford Athletic in the United States.
2.2.6. Tampa Bay Rowdies
On 2 September 2020, he joined another USL Championship side, Tampa Bay Rowdies, for the remainder of the 2020 season.
2.2.7. ÍA
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In February 2021, Davey joined Icelandic Úrvalsdeild side ÍA (Íþróttabandalag Akraness), marking his final professional club spell. He spent three years with the club before announcing his retirement.
3. International Career
Alexander Davey represented Scotland at the under-19 level. Despite his international appearances for Scotland, he remained eligible to represent England at senior level. He made his Scotland U19 debut in August 2012 against Germany under-19 as part of the UEFA Under-19 European Championship qualifying campaign.
4. Retirement
On 5 January 2024, after spending three years with Icelandic club ÍA, Alexander Davey officially announced his retirement from professional football.
5. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other Apps | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 2013-14 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014-15 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2016-17 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Scunthorpe United (loan) | 2014-15 | League One | 13 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 17 | 1 | ||
| Peterborough United (loan) | 2015-16 | League One | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Stabæk (loan) | 2016 | Tippeligaen | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | 5 | 0 | |||
| Crawley Town (loan) | 2016-17 | League Two | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| Cheltenham Town | 2017-18 | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Torquay United (loan) | 2017-18 | National League | 7 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Boreham Wood | 2017-18 | National League | 12 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 2018-19 | National League | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Hartford Athletic | 2019 | USL Championship | 13 | 0 | - | - | - | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2020 | USL Championship | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 16 | 0 | - | - | - | 16 | 0 | |||||
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2020 | USL Championship | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| ÍA | 2021 | Úrvalsdeild | 19 | 2 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 104 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 124 | 4 | ||
6. Honours
Alexander Davey achieved several notable honours during his career, primarily with Chelsea's youth teams and later with ÍA.
- Chelsea Reserves**
- FA Youth Cup: 2011-12
- Barclays Under 21 Premier League: 2013-14
- ÍA**
- 1. deild karla: 2023