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Kevin Davies
Personal information
Full name	Kevin Cyril Davies
Date of birth	26 March 1977 (1977-03-26) (age 32)
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Bolton Wanderers
Number	14
Youth career
	Sheffield United
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1993–1997 1997–1998 1998–1999 1999–2003 2003 2003–	Chesterfield Southampton Blackburn Rovers Southampton → Millwall (loan) Bolton Wanderers	129 (22) 025 0(9) 023 0(1) 082 (10) 009 0(3) 233 (49)
National team2
	England U-21	003 0(0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:45, 09 February 2010 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 19:57, 29 December 2009 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Kevin Cyril Davies (born 26 March 1977 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire) is an English football player who currently plays for Bolton Wanderers as striker. He was made team captain in 2009.^[1]

Davies originally made his name as a vital part of the Chesterfield team which reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1997. He is known for his physical playing style, and has committed more fouls than any other player in the history of the Premier League,^[2] although conversely, he is one of the most fouled^[1]

He is the half brother of former Chesterfield striker Jamie Jackson.^[3][4]

[edit] Playing career

[edit] Chesterfield

Davies played as a schoolboy with Sheffield United, but was released at the age of 15. He was taken on trial at Chesterfield and broke into the club's first team after several months.^[1] He was a vital part of the Chesterfield team which reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1997,^[5] scoring a hat-trick against current club Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park, and helping them reach the FA Cup semi-finals where they took a 2-0 lead over Middlesbrough, only for the game to end in a 3-3 draw and Middlesbrough to win the replay 3-0.

Generally, his goalscoring form at Chesterfield was unspectacular, scoring his best total of 11 goals in the 1994-95 promotion campaign from Division Three (via the playoffs) and in his final season at Saltergate he managed a mere three goals from 34 Division Three games. But he was still attracting attention from Premier League and Division One clubs during his contribution to Chesterfield's FA Cup run.

[edit] Southampton

He moved to Southampton in May 1997 and, in his first spell with them, scored nine league goals and impressed many. He scored a great solo goal against Everton at Goodison Park and also headed the winner in a 1-0 win against Manchester United.

[edit] Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers signed him for £7.5 million in July 1998, ten times what Southampton had paid for him a year earlier and also a club record. (Chesterfield received no more money from the switch, having failed to negotiate a sell-on clause.) As part of the deal, James Beattie went the other way. However, he scored just one league goal, the winner in a victory over Charlton Athletic, from 21 appearances. He scored a further goal in the FA Cup, and played a UEFA Cup game that season. At the end of the campaign, Blackburn were relegated a year after finishing sixth the league and a mere four years after being champions.

[edit] Return to Southampton

Southampton re-signed their former striker in exchange for Egil Østenstad in August 1999. However, just two league matches into his return at Southampton, he found himself sent off in a defeat against Liverpool, after coming on as a substitute for Mark Hughes. He struggled to gain a first team place throughout the next four years, and was more often than not a substitute.

[edit] Bolton Wanderers

In summer 2003, he joined Bolton having been released by Southampton. In a season where he rediscovered his best form, he scored ten times and started every league game. He ended the season by winning the club's Player of the Year award and scored a consolation goal for his team in the 2004 Football League Cup Final against Middlesbrough in Cardiff.

Davies is frequently cited as being the player in the Premier League that commits the most fouls, committing more such offences than any other Premier League player in the 2004–05, 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In the 2003-04 and 2007-08 seasons Davies was slightly better behaved, committing the second highest number of fouls per season. In his Bolton career Davies has committed some 577 fouls (as of July 2009), more than any other Premier League player in the same period.^[6][7][8] At the same time Davies has also featured near the top of the list of most fouled players.^[9] During a post match interview with the BBC after a game against Arsenal in January 2009, during which he had been accused of deliberately trying to injure Gaël Clichy in a challenge, he replied that some Arsenal players tried to "con the referee". He added "A few of them let out a big scream, which is a bit embarrassing because it is a man's game...in my eyes that is cheating the referee...you just have to get on with the game."^[10] Davies has amassed some 85 yellow cards in the top flight.^[11]

On 8 November 2007 Davies scored a goal away to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in Germany. Davies' late effort earned Bolton a crucial away point from the 2-2 draw in the UEFA Cup group stage.

On 12 April 2008, Davies scored his 100th career goal in a 1–0 win over West Ham United at the Reebok Stadium, despite dislocating a finger during the match and having it placed back into its socket allowing him to play on.^[12]

On Saturday 3 May 2008, he made his return from a broken hand to help Bolton retain their Premier League status.

Over the summer of 2008 Hull City tried to sign Kevin Davies from Bolton but the club turned down their offer.^[13] Davies then signed a new contract with Bolton which will keep him at the club until 2011.^[14]

On 31 January 2009, Davies became captain of Bolton Wanderers following the sale of Kevin Nolan to Newcastle United. The same day, Davies' first game as captain saw him score two goals in Bolton's 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur as well as equalling his record for goals in a Premier League season.^[15] In the following game, at home against West Ham United he scored his 50th goal for Bolton, and his 10th of the season.^[16] On August 9 2009, Davies said he wanted to end his career at Bolton.^[17]

[edit] Personal life

Kevin Davies currently lives with his wife Emma and three children, Lucas, Lana and an unamed baby boy in Bolton.

[edit] International career

Davies is one of six English players to have (in a single transfer) cost over £7 million and never represented their country at senior level. This list includes Nigel Reo-Coker, Anton Ferdinand, Curtis Davies, Carl Cort and Dean Richards.

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] Club^[18]

• Stats accurate as at 19:55, 07 February 2010.

[edit] Honours

Southampton

• 2003 F.A. Cup runners up medal (Awarded by club for contributions en route to final)

Bolton Wanderers

• 2004 League Cup runners up medal
• 2004 Player of The Year
• 2005 Premier League Asia Winner
• 2007 Peace Cup Runners up
• 2008 Player of the year
• 2009 Player of the year

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Kevin Davies career stats at Soccerbase
• Photos and stats at sporting heroes.net