Curtis Davies

1.1. Childhood and Education

Curtis Eugene Davies was born on 15 March 1985, in Leytonstone, London. His mother is English, and his father is from Sierra Leone. In June 2020, Davies demonstrated his commitment to education by earning a first-class honours degree in professional sports writing and broadcasting from Staffordshire University.

1.2. Early Career

Davies began his football journey as a trainee with Wimbledon, but he was released at the age of 16. Undeterred, he wrote to every local club, including prominent teams like Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, and Millwall, seeking a trial. Colchester United was the first to respond, offering him a trial, but he was released after a couple of matches. Luton Town then offered him a trial, during which he impressed by scoring two goals in three matches, leading to him being offered a scholarship with the club.

2.1. Luton Town

Davies made his professional debut for Luton Town in November 2003, in the second round of the Football League Trophy against Rushden & Diamonds. During the 2003-04 season, he made seven first-team appearances. The following season, 2004-05, was a breakthrough year for Davies. He played in 44 league matches and scored his first senior goal in the League One title-clinching victory away at Wrexham. His impressive performances earned him the Luton Town Young Player of the Year award and the League One Player of the Year award. He was also selected for the League One PFA Team of the Year, alongside five of his Luton teammates. In the 2005-06 season, Davies made only six appearances for Luton, scoring one goal in his final match at home against Millwall, before his transfer to West Bromwich Albion on 31 August 2005 for a fee of 3.00 M GBP.

2.2. West Bromwich Albion

Upon joining West Bromwich Albion, Davies made 35 starts and scored two goals in his inaugural season, which concluded with the club's relegation to the Championship. In July 2006, he committed to a new four-year contract and was appointed permanent captain, having previously captained the team on several occasions. This made him the club's second youngest captain of all time. In February 2007, he received his first career red card after accumulating two yellow cards for challenges on Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka. A month later, he sustained a broken metatarsal during Albion's match against Crystal Palace, an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season and prevented his selection for an England under-21 international match at the new Wembley Stadium. Despite the injury, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2006-07 Championship season.

On 21 June 2007, Davies' transfer request was rejected by West Brom, and he subsequently resigned from the captaincy. The club was unwilling to let him leave unless their valuation was met, a price Davies himself felt was too high for a player who had "been part of a relegated team." On 30 August, West Bromwich Albion granted Davies permission to engage in discussions with Aston Villa regarding a potential transfer.

2.3. Aston Villa

Davies' tenure at Aston Villa began with a loan spell and culminated in a permanent transfer, though his time was also marked by significant injuries.

On 31 August 2007, Davies joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan, with an option for a permanent transfer in the summer of 2008. He made his Villa debut on 27 September in a 1-0 League Cup defeat to Leicester City. Following the match, he candidly described his performance as "awful," stating, "I didn't contribute anything. I've been bigging myself up, saying I'm ready and obviously I'm not. I'm not good enough to get in the team yet. I'm honest with myself in every performance and that was rubbish - I looked like a pub team player." Davies made his Premier League debut for Villa in a 2-0 home victory against Derby County on 3 November. He scored on his first Premier League start in December, contributing to a 2-1 away victory against Wigan Athletic. He subsequently became a regular in Villa's defensive line, often playing ahead of Zat Knight. On 1 March 2008, Davies suffered a ruptured achilles tendon during a match against Arsenal, an injury that was expected to keep him out for at least six months.

Davies' move to Aston Villa was made permanent on 3 July 2008, when he signed a four-year contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed but reported to be between 8.00 M GBP and 11.00 M GBP. Despite manager Martin O'Neill's expectation that Davies would not return until October or November, he was fit to start Villa's UEFA Cup match against Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar on 14 August. He captained Aston Villa for the first time on 6 November, in a 1-0 UEFA Cup victory over Slavia Prague, with regular captain Martin Laursen on the bench. His first goal of the season came in January 2009, contributing to a 2-1 win against his former club, West Bromwich Albion, a goal he chose not to celebrate out of respect.

For the 2009-10 season, Davies started the opening match, a 2-0 home defeat to Wigan Athletic, where his defending was described as "shambolic." However, a week later, he scored the second of Villa's three goals in an away match against Liverpool, a header from a corner-kick in first-half stoppage time, in what was called an "outstanding defensive display." Davies' recurring shoulder problems necessitated surgery in September. During his absence, Villa acquired defenders James Collins from West Ham United and Richard Dunne from Manchester City. He returned to action as a second-half substitute in an FA Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion on 23 January. A proposed loan move to Scottish Premier League club Celtic to regain match fitness was rejected by O'Neill, who felt the club could not afford to lose Davies' services for the entire season. He made no further first-team appearances that season.

In the summer of 2010, Davies was placed on the transfer list. Following Martin O'Neill's resignation as manager in August, Davies expressed to journalists that he felt O'Neill had not given him a fair opportunity and hoped a new manager would offer a fresh start to all squad members. He made only two appearances before joining Championship club Leicester City on a month-long loan on 15 October.

2.4. Leicester City

Davies' loan spell at Leicester City began on 15 October 2010, initially for a month, which was later extended until January 2011. His debut for Leicester, against Hull City the following day, marked his first league match in twelve months. During his time at Leicester, Davies played regularly before returning to Aston Villa upon the expiration of his loan.

2.5. Birmingham City

On 28 January 2011, Davies signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with rivals Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee, receiving squad number 32. He was cup-tied and thus ineligible for Birmingham's victory in the 2011 League Cup Final. Davies made his first-team debut for Birmingham in a 3-1 home defeat to his former club, West Bromwich Albion, in March, stepping into the starting eleven due to an injury to Martin Jiránek. His first goal for the club came on 6 August 2011, when he opened the scoring with a header from a Jordon Mutch corner against Derby County, though Birmingham ultimately lost the match 2-1. In Birmingham's first match in major European competition in nearly 50 years, the Europa League play-off round first leg against Portuguese club Nacional, which ended goalless, Davies executed a crucial, well-timed tackle from behind to prevent Mateus from scoring.

2.6. Hull City

On 25 June 2013, Davies transferred to newly promoted Premier League club Hull City, signing a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around 2.25 M GBP. He made his debut on the opening day of the 2013-14 season in a 2-0 away loss to Chelsea. His first goal for the club came on 14 September against Cardiff City, a header from a precise cross by Tom Huddlestone. At Hull City's annual awards ceremony on 7 May 2014, held at the KCOM Stadium, Davies was voted as the Player of the Year. On 17 May 2014, he started in the FA Cup Final against Arsenal and scored to give his team a 2-0 lead, though Hull ultimately lost the match 3-2. On 16 March 2016, Davies signed a two-year extension to his contract with the club. In the 2016-17 season, he recorded 92 interceptions, the highest in the Premier League.

2.7. Derby County

On 7 June 2017, following Hull City's relegation from the Premier League, Davies signed a two-year contract with Championship club Derby County for an undisclosed fee. He was an ever-present figure in his first season. However, in the 2018-19 season, Davies struggled with injuries, first a hamstring problem that allowed Richard Keogh and Fikayo Tomori to establish themselves as starting centre-backs, and then a ruptured Achilles tendon that kept him out for the second half of the season. In September 2019, after Keogh sustained a serious knee injury in a car crash, Davies regained both his starting place and the captaincy for the subsequent match against his former club, Birmingham City.

At the end of the 2020-21 season, Davies was offered a new contract with Derby County, but no agreement was reached, and he left the club on 1 July 2021. However, in August 2021, Davies rejoined the club after the EFL permitted Derby to sign out-of-contract players under strict wage limits. Davies received significant praise throughout the 2021-22 season and was a fan favourite for the player of the season award, despite Derby's eventual relegation. He notably played every minute of Derby's 2021-22 Championship season. With the prospective takeover by Chris Kirchner, a new contract for Davies became a priority for many fans. This was confirmed on 8 July 2022, when Davies signed a one-year deal, extending his stay until 2023.

Davies was named club captain by interim manager Liam Rosenior ahead of the 2022-23 League One campaign. However, he struggled for game time during the first half of the season under both Rosenior and new manager Paul Warne due to injuries. Following his return, Davies initially lost his place in the starting eleven as Warne preferred Eiran Cashin, Craig Forsyth, and Jake Rooney in the centre-back role. Nevertheless, after a dip in form by Derby in the spring of 2023, Davies regained his place in the team with four games remaining in the season. Derby went unbeaten in their next three matches, meaning a win or a draw against Sheffield Wednesday in the final game on 7 May 2023 would secure them a place in the League One promotion play-offs. In the 41st minute of the match at Hillsborough Stadium, Davies was controversially judged by referee Leigh Doughty to have fouled Wednesday player Marvin Johnson in the penalty box, resulting in a penalty for Wednesday and a red card for Davies. The penalty led to the only goal of the game, and with Peterborough United winning elsewhere, Derby failed to qualify for the play-offs. Former referee Keith Hackett publicly criticized the decision as a "major error." Davies expressed his devastation regarding the sending-off and the uncertainty of his future at Derby as his contract was expiring. On 10 May 2023, Derby County announced that Davies would be released at the end of the season, concluding his six-year spell with the club after making a total of 175 appearances.

2.8. Cheltenham Town

On 27 June 2023, it was announced that Davies had signed a one-year deal with League One side Cheltenham Town. On 30 April 2024, the club confirmed that Davies would be departing at the end of the season. He officially announced his retirement as a player on 2 August 2024.

3.1. England

Davies made his debut for the England under-21s on 28 February 2006, against the Norway U21s. He earned a total of three caps for the England under-21 team between 2006 and 2007. In January 2008, he was named in Fabio Capello's first provisional England squad, a call-up that Davies initially described as a shock. He was also included in England's squad to face Germany in November of that year but did not make an appearance in the match.

Davies was also reported to be eligible for the Republic of Ireland through his grandparents, with the FAI reportedly contacting him about the possibility. However, Davies later clarified that his grandmother was born in Ireland while her English father was serving there in the army, meaning he has no actual Irish heritage. He further stated that he would prefer to represent the country of his father, Sierra Leone, if he did not secure a place in the England squad.

3.2. Sierra Leone

In October 2023, at the age of 38, Davies received a call-up to the Sierra Leone national team squad for their friendly matches against Benin and Somalia. He made his senior international debut for Sierra Leone against Somalia. On 5 June 2024, Davies scored his first international goal in a 2-1 victory against Djibouti during a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match. He earned a total of three caps for Sierra Leone, scoring one goal.

4.1. Family and Early Life

Curtis Davies was born in Leytonstone, London. He is married and has two daughters. His family background includes an English mother and a Sierra Leonean father.

4.2. Education and Other Activities

In addition to his academic achievements, Davies is a patron of Saving Lives, a charity dedicated to increasing public awareness about HIV and encouraging testing. Alongside fellow footballers Gavin Rae and Chris Burke, Davies co-founded and served as a director of the clothing company Seven One Zero, which was voluntarily dissolved in 2018.

6.1. International