I got the chance to speak to Football League legend Kevin Davies about his career highlights and what the future holds for the former striker.
In his career, Davies played nearly 800 times for seven clubs after coming up through the ranks at Sheffield United. The 38-year old also played for England Under-18’s, Under-21’s and for the England first team on one occasion.
He scored 150 goals, his last one coming for Preston in their game against Coventry at Deepdale. After featuring one last time for the Lilywhites at Wembley, he decided to hang up his boots. So what did he have to say about his career?
72: At what point did you realise that you had made it as a footballer?
Kevin Davies: I played through school and through grassroots and then I played for Sheffield United’s School of Excellence and then Sheffield United Boys, which was one of the best things that could happen to someone at my age. As a teenager, getting to play for Sheffield was brilliant but being released by them aged 15 was a bit of a worry and a setback as I obviously was hoping to make it as a professional footballer. It was a setback but it just made me work extra hard and I think Chesterfield came to watch me while I was playing for Sheffield. We had a very good time at Sheffield Boys, where we got to the national final and he came to watch me. I think I played one game and I was then offered a YTS scheme with a guaranteed professional contract with them at the age of 17, so I guess that was the point where I thought I had my chance.
72: So you played for Chesterfield at quite a young age. How much do you think that it helped you develop as a player?
Kevin Davies: Through growing up there were people who were ten years older than me, so I was this 6, 7, 8-year old kid playing football with kids ten years older than me. I played against grown men. I think it helped in terms of getting me ready and streetwise. I wasn’t really intimidated by playing against older men as I had been doing it my whole childhood really. When I went to Chesterfield I ended up training with the first-team really early on and I was held in high regard there. John Duncan was the manager at the time and it wasn’t long before he put me on the bench for a first-team game.
I remember someone came to me and told me I was needed in the dressing room and I thought it was someone wanting a cup of tea or something because I used to have to make the manager and players cups of tea or clean their boots and he said ‘Look I’ve decided to put you on the bench’ and that was only a few games into the season. I believe someone got injured in that game in the first half and the manager decided to throw me on and then there I was playing first-team football!
72: Who is the best player you’ve ever come up against?
Kevin Davies: I worked hard to get myself to the Premier League and over the years I managed to play with and see some wonderful players. I remember in my first year in the Premier League when I transferred from Chesterfield to Southampton and I was warming up and looked at the opposition’s side and saw Gianfranco Zola just dribbling and kicking a ball around. It was really weird to just be on the same pitch as those types of players after being at Chesterfield.
I played with some great players as well. Matt Le Tissier and Jay-Jay Okocha are two who stick out. Jay-Jay was one of the most naturally gifted players I have ever seen. I came up against Thierry Henry as well, who was one of the best all-round strikers and one of the best in the Premier League at the time. I loved Henry with the way he played, the goals he scored, he was fantastic. Dennis Bergkamp is another who I played against as well and he was brilliant. I think Henry is probably the best though.
72: You’ve told me who the best player you’ve ever come up against is, now who would you say is the best manager you have ever played for?
Kevin Davies: Oh I’ve had some great ones! John Duncan was the one who got me going and he was brilliant to me for four years and he was like a father figure to me. I actually saw him at a Kick It Out golf day the other week and we were having a chat and a catch-up. We are still good friends to this day. Even my youth team manager was brilliant to me and a massive influence. I’ve also played under Roy Hodgson who’s doing well for himself at the minute even though it didn’t work out when I played under him for Blackburn.
Then there’s Big Sam, Sam Allardyce. He got the best out of me at Bolton for years and he helped get me back on track. He always seemed to know how to get me playing well and I just thought he was a brilliant manager and I think if I go into management, I’ll look at the things he did and probably use it in my own management I suppose.
72: So do you think you will go into management then? What does the future hold for you?
Kevin Davies: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I’m not exactly sure whether it will be at the minute but I’ll certainly take my time and try to learn, maybe as a number two and as an assistant manager somewhere before having a go and not just diving straight into it. But I think yeah, maybe one day I’d like to have a crack at it.
Make sure to check out Part 2 of the Kevin Davies interview tomorrow, where he talks about his fondest Bolton memories, his favourite goal, playing at Wembley in his final game and more!
