Curtis Davies, a 39-year-old center-back who started out at Kenilworth Road and made 62 appearances while scoring two goals for the Hatters, announced last week that he was retiring from professional football.
In 2005, he was sold to West Bromwich Albion for a club record fee of £3 million. In July 2007, he moved to Aston Villa for £8 million. During that time, he also played for Leicester, Birmingham City, Hull, and Derby County, where he scored for the Tigers in their FA Cup final loss against Arsenal in 2013–14.
After signing with Cheltenham Town in 2023, Davies played 39 games for the Robins in their final campaign before being released when they were demoted to League Two. Along with receiving international caps, he recently played three matches for Sierra Leone and the England U21s. Against Djibouti in June, he became the oldest player to score in his competitive international debut. “The day has finally come,” said Davies on his official X account, after a career that saw him make 677 senior games.
“I’ve made the decision to retire from football after giving it some thought over the past few months. I always wanted to play football, so being able to play and score at Wembley, play in the Premier League, and represent both Sierra Leone and England U21 during my 23 years was truly a dream come true. There have been many highs and maybe even more lows, but everything added together made my journey a very special one. I’d like to thank all of my teammates, managers, coaches, and the supporters I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with over the years.