.jpg) Davis withNorthern Ireland in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Steven Davis[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1985-01-01)1 January 1985 (age 40) | ||
| Place of birth | Ballymena, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| St Andrews Boys Club | |||
| 2002–2004 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2007 | Aston Villa | 91 | (5) |
| 2007–2008 | Fulham | 22 | (0) |
| 2008 | →Rangers (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2008–2012 | Rangers | 140 | (18) |
| 2012–2019 | Southampton | 193 | (12) |
| 2019 | →Rangers (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2019–2024 | Rangers | 85 | (1) |
| Total | 557 | (36) | |
| International career | |||
| Northern Ireland U15 | 8 | (1) | |
| Northern Ireland U16 | 3 | (0) | |
| Northern Ireland U17 | 8 | (0) | |
| Northern Ireland U19 | 8 | (0) | |
| 2003–2004 | Northern Ireland U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2004 | Northern Ireland U23 | 1 | (1) |
| 2005–2022 | Northern Ireland | 140 | (13) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2023 | Rangers (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Steven DavisMBE (born 1 January 1985) is a Northern Irish former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder. He made his full international debut in 2005 and made 140 appearances at senior level, scoring 13 goals, to become the most cappedNorthern Ireland player, also a record for any man from the Britishhome nations. He captained his country atUEFA Euro 2016 where they reached the last 16.
Davis began his club career with EnglishPremier League clubAston Villa in 2004. He was named "Young Player of the Year", "The Fans Player of the Year" and "Player of the Year" for the 2005–06 season after making 42 appearances during the season. He was sold toFulham for £4 million in the summer of 2007, but moved on loan to Scottish clubRangers in January 2008 for an initial six months. He was part of the team that reached the2008 UEFA Cup final and won the2007–08 Scottish League Cup and2007–08 Scottish Cup. At the end of the season, he moved to Rangers permanently for £3 million. He won three consecutiveScottish Premier League titles with the Glasgow club in2009,2010 and2011, as well as one furtherScottish Cup in2009 and two moreLeague Cups (2010 and2011).
FollowingRangers’ parent company liquidation in 2012, Davis exercised his rights underTUPE regulations to rescind his contract and become afree agent, returning to the Premier League withSouthampton where he made over 200 appearances across six full seasons and captained the side for much of that time, which included twice qualifying for the Europa League from league position and reaching the2017 EFL Cup final.
Davis returned to Rangers under managerSteven Gerrard in 2019. He won another Scottish league title in2021 and another Scottish Cup in2022, as well as reaching the2022 UEFA Europa League final. He announced his retirement from playing in January 2024, having been absent through injury for over a year (during which he was briefly the interim manager of Rangers, taking charge of two matches).[3] He made 371 appearances, with 28 goals, across his two spells atIbrox.[4]
Davis, who was born inBallymena, County Antrim, started his career at St Andrews Boys Club in theDAWFL, before transferring toAston Villa in 2002.[5][6] He was a member of the2002 FA Youth Cup winning team that beatEverton 4–2 in the final.[7][8] His first professional appearance was on 18 September 2004, he was a 57th-minute replacement forNolberto Solano in a goallessPremier League match againstNorwich City atCarrow Road.[9] Davis made 28 league appearances across theseason, scoring the winner in a 3–2 comeback victory atSouthampton on 16 April 2005.[10]
On 13 August 2005, in Villa's first game of the new campaign, Davis volleyed pastJussi Jääskeläinen to secure a 2–2 home draw againstBolton Wanderers, albeit after nine minutes.[11] He scored twice on 20 September in the third round of theFootball League Cup, as Villa won 8–3 atWycombe Wanderers.[12] By October 2005, he was a regular for the club and missed only one game for Villa in the2005–06 season.[7] Davis was named Villa's "Young Player of the Year", "The Fans Player of the Year"and "Player of the Year" for the 2005–06 season.[7][13] His form prompted the Northern Ireland managerLawrie Sanchez, to state that Davis could be "anotherFrank Lampard".[14] Davis made 102 appearances for Villa and scored nine times.[15] On 2 January 2006, he headed the first goal of a 2–1 win at rivalsWest Bromwich Albion.[16]
In the summer of 2007, Davis followed teammateAaron Hughes toFulham on 5 July 2007 to team up with international manager Sanchez, for a fee of around £4 million.[5] He made his Fulham debut againstArsenal on 12 August 2007 and made 22 appearances for Fulham before moving to Rangers.[17][18]
On 31 January 2008, Davis was signed on a six-month loan byRangers, the club he supported as a boy.[18] He made his Rangers debut againstPanathinaikos in theUEFA Cup on 13 February.[19] He scored his first goal, again in European competition, against German teamWerder Bremen.[20] Davis scored in the penalty shootout againstDundee United that won Rangers theLeague Cup.[21] He also helped the team reach the2008 UEFA Cup Final,[22] and won theScottish Cup in May.[23]
Davis made his move from Fulham permanent on 21 August 2008 in a transfer worth £3 million, signing a four-year contract.[24] He made his first appearance of the season a day later againstAberdeen, a 1–1 draw.[25] He scored his first goal since his move became permanent againstMotherwell.[26] He scored the only goal in the finalOld Firm derby of the season on 9 May 2009 to take Rangers to the top of the SPL by two points.[27] Davis won the SPL title andScottish Cup with Rangers in the 2008–09 season.[28]
Davis scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season against St. Mirren on 27 January.[29] He continued his goalscoring form against Falkirk in the next game, curling a free kick intoBobby Olejnik's top right hand corner.[30] Davis's performances in January 2010 earned him the SPL Player of the Month award.[31] He was also namedPFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year on 2 May 2010, and won the SPL and Scottish League Cup for the second time each.[32]
Davis scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season against Motherwell atIbrox in October 2010, when he collected the ball 30 yards from goal before striking it into the top corner;[33] the goal drew comparisons to former Rangers favouriteIan Durrant.[33] Davis followed this up by scoring the winner in the match against Inverness at Ibrox in January 2011.[34] In the2011 Scottish League Cup Final againstCeltic, Davis opened the scoring in a match which Rangers won 2–1 after extra time.[35] This was the third time he had won the Scottish League Cup.[35] Davis scored in back-to-back games in the 2011 title run-in against Motherwell[36] and Hearts,[37] before playing his 54th and final game of the season in a 5–1 win over Kilmarnock, as Rangers won their 3rd consecutive SPL championship.[38]
On 19 July 2011, Davis signed a new five-year contract with Rangers.[39] He was made temporary captain, with the absence of formal club captainDavid Weir for the first part of the 2011–12 season.[40] Davis scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season in a 2–0 win over Aberdeen at Ibrox in August.[41] In the first Old Firm match of the 2011–12 season, he provided two assists as Rangers beat Celtic 4–2.[42] After Rangers beat Dunfermline 4–0 at East End Park, Rangers managerAlly McCoist praised Davis's performance by saying "It was a captain's performance from the best player on the park."[43] For his performances during September 2011, he received the SPL Player of the Month award.[44]
Followingthe insolvency of Rangers in 2012, Davis exercised his rights underTUPE regulations to rescind his contract and become a free agent.[45]PFA Scotland had previously commented that players were entitled to becomefree agents if they objected to the transfer to the new company formed byCharles Green.[46]
Davis rejected the chance to stay with Rangers and instead signed a three-year contract with Premier League club Southampton on 6 July 2012.[47][48] The deal was subsequently extended to 2016 as part of the agreement with Rangers to complete the transfer without the need for the international transfer clearance to be agreed by FIFA, with the two clubs agreeing a fee.[49][50] After joining Southampton, Davis pleaded the Rangers fans to agree with his decision to leave but accepted that a minority of fans would take a different view[51] and explained that he left Rangers in order to revive his football career.[52]
He made his debut on 19 August 2012, and scored to put the team ahead at holdersManchester City only three minutes after coming on as a substitute, but Southampton eventually lost 3–2.[53] His only other goal of the season came against the same opposition, in a 3–1 home win on 13 February 2013.[54]
His first two goals of the 2013–14 season came in a 5–1 victory atBarnsley in the League Cup second round on 27 August, the latter being a penalty.[55]
On 17 October 2014, Davis signed a new contract to keep him at Southampton until 2018.[56]
On 8 May 2016, Davis scored his first ever league brace for Southampton in a 2–1 win overTottenham Hotspur atWhite Hart Lane.[57] He followed this up with a goal in a 4–1 victory overCrystal Palace on the final day of the season.[58]
On 18 June 2016, he signed a new three-year contract, extending his stay with the club until 2019.[59]
He made his 200th Southampton appearance on 16 September 2017 against Crystal Palace, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory.[60]
On 6 January 2019, Davis returned toRangers on a six-month loan.[61] On 2 May, Davis agreed to join Rangers permanently once the loan deal had finished, signing a 12-month contract.[62] Davis helped Rangers win the2020–21 Scottish Premiership, their firstScottish league championship since2011, and he won theSFWA Footballer of the Year award.[63][64]
Davis tore his anterior cruciate ligament in December 2022, an injury which required surgery and a long rehabilitation process.[65]
On 25 January 2024, Davis (aged 39) announced his retirement from football as a result of the injury.[3][66]
Davis made his full international debut on 9 February 2005 in a 1–0 loss toCanada, and made theassist forDavid Healy inNorthern Ireland's famous 1–0 victory overEngland in a2006 World Cup qualification match on 7 September.[67] Davis' first goal came againstWales in a 3–2 home defeat in another qualifier on 8 October.[68] He was also part of the team who beatSpain 3–2 atWindsor Park in September 2006.[69]
On 21 May 2006, he became Northern Ireland's youngest modern daycaptain againstUruguay in the United States, a 1–0 loss.[7][70]
On 8 October 2015, Davis scored twice in a 3–1 victory overGreece to help Northern Ireland qualify for the final tournament ofEuro 2016, their first European Championship.[71]
In November 2019, he won his 116th cap against the Netherlands and became the most capped British midfielder, passingDavid Beckham. On 7 September 2020, he equalledPat Jennings's Northern Ireland record of 119 caps.[72] On 8 October 2020, he played his 120th match for Northern Ireland againstBosnia and Herzegovina in theUEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs to become the most-capped player in their history.[73] As of February 2023 he had 140 caps, making him the most capped British or Irish men's player of all time.[65][74]
Following the sacking ofMichael Beale on 1 October 2023, Davis was announced as the manager ofRangers on an interim basis.[75] He reported that this "came out of the blue" and that it "was too good an opportunity to turn down".[76] He took charge of two games, aEuropa League defeat byAris Limassol and a league win againstSt Mirren, beforePhilippe Clement was appointed manager on 15 October.[77]
Davis was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the2017 Birthday Honours for services to football.[78]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aston Villa | 2004–05[79] | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 1 | |
| 2005–06[80] | Premier League | 35 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 42 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07[81] | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | ||
| Total | 91 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 9 | ||
| Fulham | 2007–08[82] | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |
| Rangers (loan) | 2007–08[82] | Scottish Premier League | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9[c] | 1 | 26 | 1 |
| Rangers[4] | 2008–09[83] | Scottish Premier League | 34 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 7 |
| 2009–10[84] | Scottish Premier League | 36 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6[d] | 0 | 50 | 4 | |
| 2010–11[85] | Scottish Premier League | 37 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10[e] | 0 | 53 | 5 | |
| 2011–12[86] | Scottish Premier League | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[f][g] | 0 | 39 | 5 | |
| Total | 152 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 29 | 1 | 211 | 22 | ||
| Southampton | 2012–13[87] | Premier League | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | |
| 2013–14[88] | Premier League | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 40 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15[89] | Premier League | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16[90] | Premier League | 34 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3[h] | 0 | 41 | 5 | |
| 2016–17[91] | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4[h] | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 2017–18[92] | Premier League | 23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2018–19[93] | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 193 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 226 | 14 | ||
| Rangers (loan) | 2018–19[93] | Scottish Premiership | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| Rangers[4] | 2019–20[94] | Scottish Premiership | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14[h] | 1 | 43 | 1 |
| 2020–21[95] | Scottish Premiership | 35 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10[h] | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
| 2021–22[96] | Scottish Premiership | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11[i] | 1 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2022–23[97] | Scottish Premiership | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6[j] | 0 | 16 | 2 | |
| Total | 99 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 159 | 6 | ||
| Career total | 557 | 36 | 47 | 4 | 42 | 8 | 77 | 3 | 723 | 51 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 2005 | 10 | 1 |
| 2006 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2016 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | |
| Total | 140 | 13 | |
Northern Ireland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Davis goal.[98][99]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 October 2005 | Windsor Park,Belfast, Northern Ireland | 8 |  Wales | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 15 October 2008 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 32 |  San Marino | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 10 August 2011 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 47 |  Faroe Islands | 2–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 4 | 7 October 2011 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 50 |  Estonia | 1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 5 | 15 October 2013 | Ramat Gan Stadium,Ramat Gan, Israel | 64 |  Israel | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 8 October 2015 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 77 |  Greece | 1–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
| 7 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 8 | 13 November 2015 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 79 |  Latvia | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 8 October 2016 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 89 | San Marino | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 1 September 2017 | San Marino Stadium,Serravalle, San Marino | 96 | San Marino | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 11 September 2018 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 103 | Israel | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 12 | 21 March 2019 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 108 | Estonia | 2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
| 13 | 25 March 2022 | Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | 133 |  Luxembourg | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Rangers (interim) |  | 1 October 2023 | 15 October 2023 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.00 |
| Career Total | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.0 | |||
Aston Villa U18
Rangers
Southampton
Individual
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