He retires from professional football after participating in a World Cup qualifying.
Curtis Davies, a former Aston Villa, Birmingham City, and West Brom defender, has announced his retirement.
A 21-year career, which began at senior level with Luton Town in 2003 and ended with Cheltenham Town in 2004, has finally ended. The 39-year-old ended his club career after being relegated to League Two with Cheltenham and having his contract not renewed, and has now decided to retire rather than join another team.
His most recent competitive football appearance was in Sierra Leone’s 2-2 tie with Burkina Faso in World Cup qualification in June. Davies scored in a 2-1 win over Djibouti just five days later, leaving them fourth in their qualifying group.
“The day has finally come,” he began in a post shared on Twitter.
“After much thought over the last few months, I’ve decided to retire from football.” Growing up, all I wanted to be was a football player. So, to be able to play and score at Wembley Stadium, compete in the Premier League, and represent both England U21 and Sierra Leone over the course of 23 years was a dream come true. There have been many ups and downs, but all of them have contributed to making my path unique.
“I’d like to thank all of my teammates, managers, coaches, and fans over the years. Everyone at each club, including kit men, tea ladies, cafeteria staff, media teams, secretaries, and groundsmen, made me feel like part of their family.
“But the largest thanks must go to my family. My father provided me with the support, grounding, and foundation I needed to believe in my ability, despite being my harshest critic. My wife and children’s steadfast support made the sad times brighter and the good ones even better.
He spent his career in the Premier League, playing for Aston Villa, Birmingham City, and Hull City. He played the most games for Derby County, with 175, followed by Hull with 144. Davies made 106 appearances for Birmingham City after joining from inter-city rival Villa.
The centre-back played 73 games for the Baggies and 68 for the Villa, and his career highlights include winning the Championship play-offs with Hull in 2016 after winning the FA Cup with them, as well as promotion with Luton Town.