Kelvin Davis

For other people named Kelvin Davis, see Kelvin Davis (disambiguation).
Kelvin Davis
Personal information
Full nameKelvin Geoffrey Davis[1]
Date of birth29 September 1976
Place of birthBedford, England
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Southampton
Number1
Youth career
1991–1994Luton Town
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1994–1999Luton Town91(0)
1994→ Torquay United (loan)2(0)
1997→ Hartlepool United (loan)2(0)
1999–2003Wimbledon131(0)
2003–2005Ipswich Town88(0)
2005–2006Sunderland33(0)
2006–Southampton263(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:39, 21 March 2015 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Kelvin Geoffrey Davis (born 29 September 1976) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Southampton. Born in Bedford, Davis began his career with Luton Town as a youth player in 1991 and remained there until 1999. Davis later played for Wimbledon, Ipswich Town and Sunderland before moving to Southampton in 2006.

Davis was team captain of Southampton from 2009 to 2012, after which he became club captain.[2]

Club career

Early career

Davis was born in Bedford, Bedfordshire and started his career as a trainee with Luton Town, turning professional in July 1994. He joined Torquay United on loan in September 1994 as cover for the injured Ashley Bayes, making his debut in the 3–3 draw at home to Colchester United on 17 September.[3] He also played in the 2–1 defeat at home to Barnet the following week before returning to Luton. He had a further loan spell, with Hartlepool United in August 1997.

He joined Wimbledon in July 1999 for a fee of £600,000. He joined Ipswich Town on a free transfer in July 2003,[4] where he enjoyed the acclaim of Championship Goalkeeper of the year, helping steer Ipswich to third in the table.

Sunderland

Davis joined Sunderland in June 2005 for a fee of £1.25m,[5] and played in most of their Premier League games in the 2005–06 season, as Sunderland were relegated. Davis had a difficult time at Sunderland, being criticised by fans for some errors made during important games. One of the most obvious was when he was beaten by a 45-yard effort from Matthew Taylor of Portsmouth in October 2005.[6]

Southampton

In an attempt to rebuild his career after his difficult spell at Sunderland, Davis joined Southampton in July 2006 for a fee reported to be around £2 million. He linked up with former goalkeeping coach Malcolm Webster, who coached him during his spell at Ipswich. At Southampton, he was first choice goalkeeper for most of the 2006–07 season until a three-match ban relegated him to the bench where he remained after the return of Bartosz Białkowski. He was suspended for three games after kicking out at Stoke City's striker Jon Parkin on 10 March 2007.[7] His form for Saints in the first half of the 2008–09 season was impressive, despite the club's poor form. Southampton fans voted Davis player of the month three times in the first five months of the season on the club's official website. Goalkeeping coach Keith Granger was credited hugely for Davis' success in the 2008–09 season and this was brought up by Dave Merrington on a BBC Radio Solent show insisting that both Davis and Granger received the credit they deserved for working so hard in a difficult time for the club.

On 9 July 2009, Davis turned down the opportunity to sign for then Premier League side West Ham United, instead signing a new three-year contract with Southampton which meant that he would remain at Southampton until May 2012.[8] He was voted in the League one PFA team of year in 2009–10 season after a string of outstanding performances. He was again named in the League One Team of the Year for the 2010–11 season.

On 28 July 2011, Davis signed a new deal with Saints to keep him at the club until 2014.[9] On 3 March 2012, Kelvin Davis put in a superb performance between the sticks against a rampant Leeds United to help secure a clean sheet, and one-nil win, for Southampton against the Yorkshire club at Elland Road.[10] The performance earned the 35-year old a place in the Championship Team of the Week.[11]

He was named in the Championship Team of the Year for the 2011–12 season, meaning he had been named in a team of the year for three consecutive years.

He saved a David Silva penalty on the opening day of the 2012–2013 season against Manchester City, but this could not help the club from being beaten 3–2.

He saved a Robin van Persie penalty in a game against Manchester United, but once again the club were beaten 3–2.

On 7 March 2013, Davis signed a new contract with Southampton, keeping him at the club until 2016.[12]

Honours

Southampton
Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Premier League Clubs submit Squad Lists" (PDF). Premier League. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  2. ↑ http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/team/player-profile/kelvin-davis/1
  3. ↑ Leigh Edwards. The definitive Torquay United F.C. The Association of Football Statisticians. p. 73. ISBN 1-899468-09-9.
  4. ↑ "Ipswich land Davis". BBC News. 29 July 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  5. ↑ "Davis completes Sunderland move". BBC Sport. 14 June 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  6. ↑ "Sunderland 1–4 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 29 October 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  7. ↑ "Davis fails to overturn FA charge". BBC Sport. 16 March 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  8. ↑ "Kelvin Davis snubs West Ham for new Southampton deal". Daily Echo. 9 July 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  9. ↑ "Saints keeper signs new contract". BBC News. 28 July 2011.
  10. ↑ "Kelvin Hails Massive Three Points" Southampton F.C. Official Site. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  11. ↑ "Duo in Weekly Side" Southampton F.C. Official Site. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  12. ↑ "Kelvin Davis extends Southampton contract until 2016". goal.com. 7 March 2013.
  13. ↑ "Three in Team of the Year". Southampton FC. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  14. ↑ "PFA Divisional Awards: Npower League One". Professional Footballers Association. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  15. ↑ "Championship team". Spurs defender Kyle Walker wins PFA Young Player award. BBC Sport. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Michael Svensson		 Southampton captain
2009–2012 		Succeeded by
Adam Lallana